The Gift of the Grizzly | Thomas D. Mangelsen | TEDxJacksonHole

Thomas D. Mangelsen is one of the most prolific and widely celebrated nature photographers of our time and an international hero for making Grizzly 399 famous and for advocating to protect grizzlies. His photographs document the bears’ resurgence as they have been listed and delisted under the Endangered Species Act.

This fall the conservation community championed Tom when he was randomly drawn from 7,000 applicants as #8 of the 22 hunters awarded a license to kill a grizzly bear in Wyoming. Of course he wasn't going to use his tag to kill one, but instead use it to photograph, potentially saving a bear or two of the estimated 700 in the region. The hunt was called off at the last minute, but as Tom will tell you, the metamorphosis of the Great Bear is far from over. Renowned American nature and wildlife photographer Thomas D. Mangelsen has traveled throughout the natural world for over 40 years observing and photographing the Earth’s last great wild places. A Nebraska native, Mangelsen’s love of nature, his life outdoors and business success were heavily influenced by his father. An avid sportsman, Harold Mangelsen took his sons to favorite blinds along the Platte River in Nebraska to observe the great flocks of ducks, geese and cranes that migrate through the valley. From these adventures, Mangelsen learned important lessons for photographing in the field, most notably patience and understanding animal behavior. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx