f.^''. SOCIETY & ANIMALS 22 (2014) 174-193 Society ''.• *'' •.•'" Animals,-... BRILL brill.com/soan What Good Is a Bear to Society? Lauren Harding University of British Columbia hardingl@interchange. ubc. ca Abstract Arising out offieldworkin the Canadian Rockies, this paper analyzes the role of bears in the conservation culture of Canadian national parks. Why is the presence of this large predator tolerated and even celebrated by some? And why do others fear and even despise this animal, whom they see as a danger and a menace, and resent its continued preservation? Bears may act as a token charismatic species in conserva- tion mythology; they may be anthropomorphized into a cuddly roadside attraction evoking childhood nostalgia; or they may play the part of wrathfiil Nature guarding against human incursion into the wilderness. Tourists in Banff National Park take great pains to see bears, while local hikers and campers expend almost equal energy avoid- ing an ursine encounter. This paper explores what human reactions to bears reveal about social attitudes toward the natural world, particularly in areas like the Canadian Rockies where human and bear territory overlap. Keywords animals - anthropomorphism - bears - Canada - conservation - national parks - tourism Telephone caller: "Bear 66' died?" Banff Visitor Information Centre employee: "Yes sir. Bear 66 died." Cafler: "Good." Banff VIC employee: "Pardon?" Caller: "Good, I hate the bears, they're dangerous." Banff VIC employee: "Well, not usually..." 1 Bears in the Canadian national parks are given identifying numbers, and some become well known by these numbers through the local media. I KONINKLIJKE BRILL NV, LEIDEN, 2014 | DOI ll).l