"Bear Man" Lynn Rogers on Recent Attacks: Don't Fear Bears
Minnesota biologist has unusual approach to studying wild black bears.
Such behaviors have earned Rogers, 74, the founder of both the Wildlife Research Institute and the North American Bear Center (NABC), the nickname "Bear Man." But it's also drawn fire from critics who say he endangers public safety by making the animals less fearful of humans.
The bitter dispute came to a head this summer, when the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) refused to renew Rogers's permit to radio-collar black bears in the state and install webcams in dens.
Rogers responded by suing the DNR, saying that removing radio collars from ten black bears would irreparably harm his research.
The two sides settled on a temporary compromise in late July that let Rogers keep collars on the bears, but
