Text and photographs introduce the origins, evolution, habitats, behavior, and life cycles of the eight present-day species of bears Bears evoke our curiosity and wonder as surely as they inspire our fear and respect. This handsome volume, featuring more than forty full-color photographs, provides an introduction to these remarkable creatures--from the polar bears that roam the Arctic ice to the sun bears and spectacled bears that inhabit the jungles of Asia and South America. Author Ian Stirling introduces young readers to the eight species of bears--their origins and evolution, where they live, what they eat, how they rear their young, how they communicate, and much more. The book also looks at how humans affect bears' natural habitats and how scientists study these magnificent creatures to understand them and help provide for their survival. Watching a Polar Bear The temperature was thirty degrees below zero as I stood on the cliff in front of my camp, gazing at the windswept ice below. Through the Arctic winter, a bitter wind had blown across the ice ridges, leaving deep drifts of hard snow in its path. That morning there was only a light wind. Not a sound of another living thing could be heard--no distant birds calling, no acrtic foxes barking, nothing. The only noise was an occasional sharp crack as the sea ice shifted slightly with the changing tide. Used Book in Good Condition