ursophile

From Latin ursus +‎ -o- +‎ -phile.

ursophile (plural ursophiles)

1. One who loves bears.
   • 1969, Jack Olsen, “Prologue”, in Night of the Grizzlies, Signet, published 1971, page 23:

     When a rogue grizzly must be exterminated by government officials, the laments of these new ursophiles continue for months, and letters to the editor run four or five to one in condemnation of the exterminators.

   • 1975, Education for Development Quarterly, page 52:

     The anthology, suitable for the junior school library, Michael Bond’s Book of Bears, could well have been a feast for ursophiles but turns out to be only a good dinner.

   • 1977, Michigan in Books, page 15:

     The Burton Collection of the Detroit Public Library, which has so many varieties, owns a copy, printed as part of a little seven-page pamphlet, Sir Bruin, issued in 1866, and ursophiles may read it there.

   • 1984, Publishers Weekly, volume 225, page 51, column 1:

     Bialosky is on the cover—to extend comfort and congratulations to ursophiles everywhere.

   • 1984, Time, volume 124, page 9:

     One reason: a contest that allows ursophiles to submit pictures of their own Teddies, which may be selected for inclusion in the ’86 edition.

   • 1986, Punch, volume 291, page 31, column 3:

     Which much loved and sadly missed English writer, actor and ursophile wrote a lovely book all about living in a small house on the same island?

   • 1993, Martha Hill, The Art of Photographing Nature, Three Rivers Press, →ISBN:

     About six months later, Chuck Gibbs, another avid amateur photographer and ursophile, approached too close to a sow grizzly and her three cubs in Glacier National Park and was killed.

   • 1993, Canadian Geographic, page 6, column 1:

     These two new books are designed to stoke the insatiable appetite of ursophiles.

   • 1997, Book Review Digest, volume 93, page 1357:

     Bears are among the most popular animals, and this book of photos and essays will satisfy the most particular ursophiles.

   • 2006 April, BBC Wildlife, volume 24, page 36, column 3:

     Dedicated ursophile and BBC Wildlife staff writer James Fair believes brown bears would thrive in the valleys and beech woods of the western Cotswolds.

   • 2008, James C. Halfpenny, Scats and Tracks of North America: A Field Guide to the Signs of Nearly 150 Wildlife Species, Falcon Guides, →ISBN:

     To Diann, my alpha partner, ursophile, and tracking friend, for all her loving support and help.

   • 2009, Sylvia Dolson, “Test Your Voca-bear-lary!”, in Bear-ology: Fascinating Bear Facts, Tales & Trivia, PixyJack Press, →ISBN, page 172:

     This is a beary special quiz for ursophiles—all the answers contain the letters b-e-a-r.

• arctophile

• urophiles