Read this excerpt from "close encounters of the bear kind" by susan e. quinlan. john has tracked down quite a few bear dens – about 100, he thinks. in most cases, the bear is not so alert and not so near the den entrance. usually, john must squeeze his broad-shouldered, six-foot-tall frame inside the den, and then, without room to maneuver, jab the tranquilizing needle into the waking bear. most people probably wouldn't want this job. but john feels that the chance to climb into the private world of a black bear is a great privilege. after studying north american bears for 20 years, john sees bears differently than most people do. "bears are not vicious animals to be feared," he says. "i see a lot of the same traits in bears that i see in dogs, and even people including curiosity and playfulness. sure, bears sometimes attack, but in nearly all cases there are specific circumstances that explain the bear's behavior. how would you feel if you were sleeping and woke up to see a stranger standing in the room? it's understandable if a surprised bear gets a bit upset." john's main worry in his work is not his own safety, but that of the bears. "i enjoy the opportunity to study and handle bears," he says. "but i also hate to hassle them. it's important to me to be sure the work we are doing is worth what we are putting the bears through. but i have learned that we can't just leave bears alone and expect everything to be ok. we have to know more about bears and bear behavior to protect them and their habitats." how is the author's viewpoint that the scientist, john hechtel, is concerned about bear conservation conveyed in the text? she relays how john says that more information is needed about bears and their behavior to protect them and their habitats. she explains how john, despite his large frame, carefully enters a bear's den and tranquilizes a sleeping bear. the author includes a quotation from john stating that "bears are not vicious animals to be feared." the author explains how john has tracked down about 100 bears in their dens during his years of research.