This subspecies [the Kodiak brown bear—among the world's largest bears—is unique to the Kodiak archipelago. To limit access to these popular animals and to offer a lifetime thrill, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service runs a viewing program; 250 people from around the world applied for 90 slots in 1992. Vic Barnes (at left), who started the program, radio collars a bear with his 11-year partner, state biologist Roger Smith.
(Text and photograph from "Kodiak: Alaska's Island Refuge," November 1993, National Geographic magazine)
George F. Mobley
