We are proud to announce that Nat Hab’s very own guide Brad Josephs will be starring in Discovery Channel’s “Great Bear Stakeout,” a two hour special about the vulnerable American grizzly bear population of Alaska’s wilderness.  It is premiering on Discovery Channel this Sunday, May 12 at 9pmET/PT.  Viewers have seen short clips of grizzly bears in other documentaries on Discovery Channel, but this program will bring viewers closer to the lives of grizzlies than producers ever thought possible, showing them the best of months’ worth of footage that documents their hibernation preparation, mating rituals and feeding habits.  Co-produced by the BBC, it premiered to rave reviews on BBC 1 in the UK on April 23rd, and many are calling it the best bear documentary to date. An added bonus: the film is narrated by the friendly and familiar voice of John Goodman, the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning Roseanne actor.

“Parsnip and her cub Pushki are the stars of the film. Our team tracked and documented their struggle for survival for an entire summer.” -Brad Josephs

Brad Josephs has been an Expedition Leader with Natural Habitat Adventures since 2005.  He is a trained wildlife biologist who knows what a bear will do before the bear even knows it. He co-stars with fellow naturalists Chris Morgan and Buck Wilde in the film.  “This was one of the highlights of my career as I was given the chance to work with fellow bear lovers Chris Morgan, and Buck Wilde, and the greatest film wildlife crew in the world,” says Josephs.  Morgan was also impressed with the cast and crew: “When you’re working with the creators and cameramen from Frozen Planet and Planet Earth, you know you’re going to come away with something special.”

After the show, you can join Chris Morgan on May 13th for a live Facebook chat from 3-3:30pm Mountain Standard Time at facebook.com/ChrisMorganWildlife and a live Twitter chat from 3:30-4pm Mountain Standard Time by following the hashtag #GreatBearStakeout.

“The speed, agility and power of these grizzlies is a sight to behold.” -Brad Josephs

The cast and crew lived alongside the bears for a full five months, and captured every moment with “specially designed camera gear [that] filmed the bears in a new way and spy cams rigged throughout a vast area lending an intimacy rarely seen.”  The team was able to intimately get to know the personality and toils of three grizzly bears in particular (Parsnip, Van, and Alice) and follows their stories throughout the program.  If you’re going out for Mother’s Day this Sunday, make sure to set your DVR to record this epic Discovery Channel special, you won’t want to miss it!

“We call this bear Van, because like Evander Holyfield, or Van Gogh, his ear is damaged. He is biggest bear I have ever seen in 17 years working in the Alaskan Wilderness.” -Brad Josephs