Bear experts featured at rendezvous

Grizzly Bear Rendezvous 2012 will take place from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 13, in Bigfork.

Jack and Suzi Hanna will help host the event with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to support grizzly bear conservation in Montana.

Music will be provided by the bluegrass band, LeftOver Biscuits. An assortment of gourmet dishes with a summer flare will be provided by The Raven of Bigfork.

Reservations for this cowboy casual event are due by July 6 by calling 406-444-3272. Space is limited. The cost is $75 per ticket.

Jack Hanna will emcee the event. He will talk about his many television adventures and commitment to wildlife conservation in Montana and around the world. 

Stuart Strahl, Chicago’s director of the Brookfield Zoo and chief executive officer of the Chicago Zoological Society, will serve as keynote speaker. Chris Servheen, 28-year grizzly bear recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, will discuss the scope of his studies. 

Throughout the evening, other grizzly bear experts including Rick Mace, Tim Manley, Jamie Jonkel, Kevin Frye and Mike Madel will provide information and answer questions at their respective display tables.

The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Foundation raises an average of $50,000 a year using such events as the Grizzly Bear Rendezvous to fund the work by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologists for grizzly bear conservation management and research in Montana.

For more details about the Grizzly Bear Rendezvous and all projects of the foundation, log on to www.mfwpfoundation.org.