Photo & article archive
Taquka & Shaguyik
After their mothers were killed, the two orphaned grizzlies were placed in the care of Jordan and his team in Alaska. Sadly, Shaguyik did not survive to reach the conservation center in Sweden. Taquka was sent there as an ambassador for Alaskan brown bears.
The Alutiiq Museum gives taquka’aq as the Kodiak Alutiiq word for “bear.” Read the museum’s entry ↗
Bears for rock ’n’ roll?
Early in his career, while caring for Alaskan brown bears and polar bears at a zoological institution, Jordan often played oldies from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, hoping their keen hearing might translate into an appreciation for rock ’n’ roll. Whether they shared his taste in music remains an open question.
Wildlife welfare & film
The bear imagery at Taquka Records reflects Jordan’s longstanding connection to wildlife and conservation. Bears should never be used as performing artists. Jordan worked in South Asia for an organization that helped take dancing bears off the streets and end their exploitation. While working for other zoological organizations, he trained animals to promote behavioral enrichment and for the purpose of facilitating preventive health care. In addition, some animals were included in documentaries for educational purposes and occasionally in feature film projects, which helped fund their care.
Read Jordan’s article on ending the dancing bear trade ↗Read Jordan’s Wildlife SOS India article on Substack ↗Bear conservation
Jordan previously served as an ex officio council member of the International Association for Bear Research and Management, a member of the IUCN SSC Bear Specialist Group, and an advisor to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Bear Taxon Advisory Group (TAG).
Bear articles
Selected writing by Jordan Carlton Schaul on bears, conservation and animal welfare. Saved PDFs remain available here independently of the original websites. These historical articles reflect their original publication dates.
National Geographic
Does Bear Spray Work?
Previously saved PDF; some saved copies may be incomplete.
Read saved PDF ↗What It Means to Be “Bear Aware”
Previously saved PDF; some saved copies may be incomplete.
Read saved PDF ↗
Remembering the Ghost Bear & Rescuing the Moon Bear
Previously saved PDF; some saved copies may be incomplete.
Read saved PDF ↗
The Biggest of the Big—The Brown Bears of Alaska and Russia’s Far East
Previously saved PDF; some saved copies may be incomplete.
Read saved PDF ↗
Inspired by Late Animal Actor “Bart the Bear”—Vital Ground Protects Grizzly Bear Habitat
Previously saved PDF; some saved copies may be incomplete.
Read saved PDF ↗
Two-fold Increase Reported in Grizzly Bear Deaths in Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Previously saved PDF; some saved copies may be incomplete.
Read saved PDF ↗
“Black Bear”—The New Exhibit at the Minnesota Zoo for a Triplet of Orphans
Previously saved PDF; some saved copies may be incomplete.
Read saved PDF ↗
Oldest-Known Wild Bear in the World Dies in Minnesota at Almost 40 Years of Age
Previously saved PDF; some saved copies may be incomplete.
Read saved PDF ↗
Wildlife SOS
An Interview with the bear keeper Veeru
Archived article.
Read saved PDF ↗View source ↗Biking for Bears in Kashmir
Archived article.
Read saved PDF ↗View source ↗A wild sloth bear rescued near Agra
Archived article.
Read saved PDF ↗View source ↗The Story of “Triple A”: Amar, Akbar, Anthony
Archived article.
Read saved PDF ↗View source ↗Solving India’s Dancing Bear Problem
Notice linking to the full National Geographic story.
Read saved PDF ↗View source ↗
HuffPost
The Iconic Grizzly Bear Returns
Archived from Western Wildlife Outreach’s authorized reprint.
Read saved PDF ↗View source ↗