National Geographic's Giant Bears of Kodiak Island [VHS]
In this 1992National Geographicvideo depicting the giant bears of Kodiak Island, photographer Wolfgang Bayer gets up close and demonstrates that the normally feared animal has a gentler side.  Taking viewers through the rituals of the bear's daily life, this documentary shows the black Kodiak bear as primarily a creature of habit and survival, and we witness the hulking carnivores in a more humane light.  The island and its people are torn between their own survival and the continued existence of the big black bear.  Part way through the video, we meet a graduate student visiting his hometown, and through his studies, we learn more about the people of Kodiak Island and an animal that is normally feared. While this film is well worth watching as a source of information and entertainment, it tends to leave the viewer asking more questions about the fate of the bears on the island.--Sandra Levin