Stand up for bears or lose them forever, says Ricky Gervais in charity photobook

Remembering Wildlife is a successful fundraising photo book series, which has seen titles including Remembering Cheetahs and Remembering African Wild Dogs. The seventh book in the highly acclaimed series will be Remembering Bears, released on October 10, 2022.

The mission of Remembering Wildlife is simple – the world's leading photographers donate their photographs of a particular species, and those images are then turned into a beautiful hardback photobook, the sales of which support conservation efforts around the world. In previous books, images have been donated by prolific wildlife photographers including Steve Winter, Art Wolfe, Frans Lanting, Brent Stirton, Tim Laman, and Jonathan and Angela Scott.

Remembering Bears will feature all eight species of bears from around the world: American black bears, Andean bears, Asiatic black bears, brown bears, giant pandas, polar bears, sloth bears, and sun bears – with the aim to raise awareness of their plight and also to raise funds to protect them. 

A successful Kickstarter campaign early in 2022 secured financing for the book, with £145,998 pledged of a total £20,000 goal.

Every series of Remembering Wildlife has aided species most in need of conservation worldwide. So, why bears this year? According to Remembering Wildlife, six of the eight bear species are listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as Vulnerable or Endangered due to pressures ranging from climate change to human-wildlife conflict.

Founder of Remembering Wildlife Margot Raggett says: “Humans have long had a special relationship with bears – we hug them at night as children and love seeing them in storybooks and on screen. Yet, in the real world, they’re not always viewed with the same affection and can be seen as a nuisance or threat.

“Through images and words, this book shines a spotlight on their diversity, beauty, and resilience as well as raising awareness of their plight and raising funds for organizations passionately fighting for the future of bears.”

The foreword for the book is by wildlife filmmaker, presenter, and public speaker Gordon Buchanan MBE, who describes his “enviable and unforgettable experiences” with bears. Other contributors include Jill Robinson MBE, Founder, and CEO of Animals Asia, which campaigns to raise awareness of the bear bile trade. She says the book “honors the world’s remarkable bear species”.

Actor, comedian, writer, and animal rights champion Ricky Gervais wrote the back cover endorsement, where he warns we have to stand up for bears or lose them forever. He describes Remembering Bears as "A wonderful book that shows how beautiful bears are and just what we have to lose if we don't stand up for them now. They deserve better."

Be part of the Remembering Bears launch event

There will be a Remembering Bears launch event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on Thursday, October 13, where you can meet some of the key photographers who have been part of the project. Gordon Buchanan will speak alongside Margot Raggett at the official launch event. Also on stage at the RGS will be Thomas D Mangelsen, the acclaimed photographer and BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

Tickets are now on sale here for the launch event, but they will also be available to watch live online. To find out more, visit the Remembering Bears site.

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