A COMPARISON OF  ALASKAN AND KAMCHATKAN PENINSULA BEARS-TO PROTECT LAST WILDLIFE ENVIRONMENT FOR BEARS OF THE WILD NORTH

                                                             BY

                                       LARS OLE MORTENSEN

                                    (THE DANISH JOURNALIST)

     The Alaskan and Kamchatka Peninsula have a beauty that is to be viewed at least once in a person's lifetime. My name is Lars Ole Mortensen, and I am from Fredericksvaerk Denmark, having lived on flat islands free of mountains...now, living in North and South America, I am enjoying the mountains of Alaska, Canada and Colorado. I have survived numerous grizzly bear encounters while living in Alaska, Canada and Colorado. I respect the grizzly bear.

      Twenty years ago, I read the book "Alaska" by James Michener, and I thought... "Go and see Alaska...it is the most wondrous and diverse environment you could ever imagine". So, I did...And I spent three summers working for remote resorts and museums, meeting a diverse native peoples, I went gold prospecting, ghost town and mining town exploring, Copper River salmon fishing, hiking and mountain climbing the local mountains.

     This is what others have said about the Kamchatka Peninsula, Go explore Kamchatka". I quote my favorite Danish writer and explorer Isak Denisen(Karen Blixen) as " I have become a mental traveller" about The Kamchatka Peninsula".

      I "explore" the comparison because both boast diverse and abundant wildlife. So fascinating an environment. I hope all will experience these unique environments and respect the beauty of the land.

     Both areas have very similar climates ranging from temperate to subarctic, diverse topography and geography, with many ice bound and free-flowing rivers, proximity to highly productive waters from the Arctic Ocean, Northwestern Pacific Ocean and Bering Seas and The Okhotsk Seas.

      Similarly there is a very low human population with minimal development.  The exploitation of natural fisheries and a history of fur trapping has taken its toll on many species. This makes these areas an ideal environment to protect, since there may still be time before populations migrate North to spoil these remaining pristine  environments...

COMPARISON OF THE KODIAK ISLAND BEAR TO THE KAMCHATKA GRIZZLY

     The Kodiak Island Bear, the second most powerful bear, after the Polar Bear, is similar to Kamchatka Brown Bear. Size and strength are similar. How did the two species develop so similar and so separated from each other? The Bering Land Bridge is the thought at present. Also, the amount of bears in the two immense regions are similar. On Kodiak Island as well as the Kronotsky Nature Preserve, there are estimated to be three to four bears per 100 square kilometres.

 

     Let us hope that these environments are allowed to be set aside for the last remaining true Bears Of The Wild North.

 

                             By Lars Ole Mortensen The Danish Journalist.