There is a world somewhere between reality and fiction. Although ignored by many, it is very real and so are those living in it. This forum is about the natural world. Here, wild animals will be heard and respected. The forum offers a glimpse into an unknown world as well as a room with a view on the present and the future. Anyone able to speak on behalf of those living in the emerald forest and the deep blue sea is invited to join.
Tracking Gobi Grizzlies.
Once the crowd hovering over the bear had the measurements and samples it needed, I took a turn at her side and put my hands on her fur - that strange, shaggy, distinctive mazaalai coat that doesn't drape over the body so much as stick out in all directions, wildly mussed-looking. From the layer of light brown outer guard hairs, I worked my fingers down into the bear's second coat, consisting of fine, densely interwoven hairs. Unlike that of the North American grizzly, the mazaalai inner layer of fur is brilliant white, as if borrowed from a polar bear. It is also remarkably thick. I could feel the warmth trapped within. How a desert-dwelling bruin coped with summer's heat wearing this woolen underwear was hard to imagine, but then I couldn't imagine dealing with the unobstructed icy winds and bitter cold that grip this part of the world from fall through spring without extra insulation. Odko spied a camel tick crawling through the fur and nabbed it - not for science but simply because this bear's life might be a little more comfortable with one less tick on its hide. It was the least we could do to make up for all our pulling and probing.
Bears of the Himalayan Mountains
