Publisher’s Note

Seeing brown bears in the wild of Alaska has been one of the most extraordinary experiences in my lifetime. These big, beautiful mammals thrive in the scenic state of Alaska. Many travel to Katmai National Park and Preserve to see them. For many years, I had “bear fever” and had to keep going back to this magical place. During one trip, I was fortunate to meet Dr. Grant V. Hilderbrand, famous for saving the life of a mama bear whose neck was stuck in a bear trap. Dr. Hilderbrand and the team were successful in removing the snare from “Divot’s” neck, even while she had a cub with her. The footage of this rescue can be found on YouTube. Dr. Hilderbrand, along with colleagues, has written Brown Bears in Alaska’s National Parks: Conservation of a Wilderness Icon. I highly recommend this incredible book, which takes you right inside the parks and lives of this iconic species. You can purchase it on Amazon.

Nevada resident and avid photographer, Julie Jay, spends much of her time in the local Nevada desert photographing and elevating local species like coyotes and burrowing owls. She is our photographer of the quarter.

Also in the issue, Zita Quentin has written a fascinating article about melanism. For centuries, we have been intrigued by the dark, mysterious coats of onyx black animals and mythical species like the black panther (actually a melanistic leopard). How about that melanistic serval on the cover, WOW.

Ranjan Ramchandani shares a beautiful portfolio of Bandhavgarh National Park in India, and our art director, Anya Thrash, takes us to Iceland and the prolific puffin population.

Michelle Liles
michelle@thewildlensmagazine.com