After the snows have melted, at the dawning of spring, in emerald forests, giants waken.160; They escape their underground lairs, somnolent, tousled ... And hungry160; Some are alone and wander the forests in search of food and others of their kind.160; Elsewhere, miniature facsimiles - minor versions of these quarter ton leviathans - shadow others, tethering them closer to their dens.160; For centuries humans" link with bears has been tenuous.160; Whatever people"s individual views, however, bears are absorbing and captivating creatures.160; Intelligent and adaptable, and instinctively caring, at the same time they can be lazy, belligerent and cantankerous.160; Always, however, they demand respect.160; They have survived for centuries at the top of the food chain, kings and queens of their environment - a creature to which all others bow.