Stranger Among Bears

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STRANGER AMONG BEARS

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For more than twenty years, Charles Vandergaw has been living with wild bears in the Alaskan wilderness. He has developed a unique, but controversial, relationship with the black and grizzly bears that live near his isolated cabin.

Now, for the first time, Charlie has allowed cameras to capture an entire season at "Bear Haven."

But even as filmmaker Richard Terry finds himself drawn into this extraordinary world, the Alaskan authorities are clamping down on what may prove to be Charlie's last year as a "Stranger Among Bears."

EPISODE 1: Bitten
Premiering Friday, April 17, 10 PM e/p.
Filmmaker Richard Terry receives a rude welcome to Bear Haven when he finds himself caught between a mother black bear and her cub. Under Charlie Vandergaw's supervision, Richard soon learns that there is no room for mistakes when dealing with these dangerous predators.

EPISODE 2: Down the Barrel of a Gun
Premiering Friday, April 17, 10:30 PM e/p.
The tranquillity of Charlie Vandergaw's life among the bears is shattered by the arrival of two trespassing hunters. A tense altercation precedes a transformative experience for both Charlie and the hunters.

EPISODE 3: The Grizzlies Are Coming
Premiering Friday, April 24, 10 PM e/p.
Several weeks into bear season, Charlie Vandergaw still hasn't seen any grizzly bears around Bear Haven. Their eventual arrival changes the atmosphere, increasing the danger as the powerful beasts stake their claim to the territory surrounding Charlie's cabin.

EPISODE 4: Feeding Controversy
Premiering Friday, April 24, 10:30 PM e/p.
A recent change in the law has made feeding bears a serious offence, and if Charlie continues to defy the authorities he could end up in jail. A legal loophole may allow him to avoid prosecution, but it also raises the ire of those who seek to shut him down.

EPISODE 5: Man vs. Bear
Premiering Friday, May 1, 10 PM e/p.
Living side by side with black and grizzly bears is becoming more and more difficult for 70-year-old Charles Vandergaw. As the bears start tearing apart his cabin, Charlie faces the unthinkable: is he getting too old for life among the bears?

EPISODE 6: The End of Bear Haven?
Premiering Friday, May 1, 10:30 PM e/p.
Could Charlie's extraordinary life living with bears in the Alaskan wilderness be coming to an end? Increasing pressure from state authorities, including a raid by state troopers, threaten to undo his life's work. As winter closes in, and Charlie prepares to return to civilization, he might be saying farewell to his beloved bears for the last time.

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STRANGER AMONG BEARS

About the Show/Episodes

Inside Scoop/Bear Photos

Seasonal Bear Calendar

History of the Grizzly Bear

The Grizzly Safety Quiz

Anatomy of a Grizzly Bear

Find out more about Charlie Vandergaw and filmmaker Richard Terry.

VIDEO GALLERY

STRANGER AMONG BEARS VIDEOS

Watch highlights from this six-part series about Charlie Vandergaw, a man whose unique relationship with wild bears has sparked controversy across Alaska, and now the world.

COOL BEAR FACTS

Waiting for the Snow: As winter sets in, grizzly bears often wait for a large snowstorm before entering their den for hibernation. This may lessen the chance that predators — such as wolves or other grizzlies — will be able to find and invade their den.

False Hibernation?: Not all experts are convinced that grizzlies technically hibernate. Their body temperatures don't drop as low as true hibernators, and they move around during hibernation on occasion. In some areas, they skip hibernation altogether.

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