ursophile

plural ursophiles

1. One who loves bears.

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

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

   5 more examples

   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.

   1969, Jack Olsen, “Prologue”, in Night of the Grizzlies, Signet, published 1971, page 23

   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.

   1975, Education for Development Quarterly, page 52

   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.

   1977, Michigan in Books, page 15

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

   1984, Time, volume 124, page 9

   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?

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