Bear Aware Safety

People who know that bears run 66% faster than the fastest human, have absolutely no fear of a speeding bullet, and dine on "berries, roots and mammals," should not require a DVD to convince them to steer clear of ursine populations. Still, even though the odds of a bear attack in the wild are about a million to one, this excellent program (available on VHS or DVD) should help keep city slickers out of trouble. Produced by the Forest Service of British Columbia and featuring some very fine bear footage, Bear Aware Safety teaches viewers how to tell a grizzly from a black bear (shoulder blades, not color), camp and hike safely, store food, and, finally, duck and cover should one of these nearly blind but very powerful beasts take a shine towards you. Although there are some unrealistic recommendations--such as that you sing or make noise while hiking (which, in my case, would surely invite attacks from fellow nature enthusiasts), and carry a portable electric fence (not exactly getting back to nature)--the shots of a bear taking down a camper's tent like a kid opening a bag of M & M's should remind us all that while we see bears as warm and fuzzy, they see us, to quote Gary Adams, as "crunchy on the outside but chewy on the inside." Highly recommended. [Note: Since there's no indication that the DVD includes anything extra, our recommendation is for the much lower priced VHS version.] Aud: P. (R. Ray)