by Cole Forrer

Created on: June 10, 2010   Last Updated: June 11, 2010

Many have dreamt of a harmonious existence with creatures of the animal kingdom, from those of the sea such as whales to sky-faring animals like the eagle. However, one of the most commonly considered fantasies of this nature is one that deals not with a docile or gentle creature, but one that is feared all across America: The Bear. With a concept such as this one, a single question emerges: Is such a lifestyle plausible? One that has people coexisting with man-eaters? The simple answer is no, but naturally such a response requires proof, and with this question we are reminded of a man who should be all of the proof we need: Timothy Treadwell, better known as the Grizzly Man.

Timothy Treadwell was a highly passionate bear enthusiast who, from approximately 1990 to 2003, went on expeditions into Katmai National Park to document the behavior of bears. Every summer he would take a plane into the heart of Alaska and do exactly what is stated above, he would live with grizzly bears. For 13 summers Treadwell did this, taking extremely thorough footage which displayed how close he actually got to these massive bears, sometimes less than 5 yards. As if this weren’t enough, he would often take recordings in the night of bears passing by his tent and fighting amongst themselves. Some would say he was living the dream, and that this is proof that a harmonious relationship with bears can indeed exist, not just the opposite. This however, would be a hasty conclusion, as in October of 2003, Treadwell and his girlfriend were killed on tape by a grizzly bear which he had documented just days earlier.

It was later confirmed which bear had killed Treadwell and it was then hunted down and shot, but this remains a solemn reminder of why humans should not attempt to live with any species other than their own. Treadwell was a hugely passionate man who loved grizzly bears more than anything else in his life, and yet he died at the hands of one of them. It is due to this reason and this reason alone that any desire to live with bears should remain a simple desire, and never be attempted in reality as it was by this unfortunate individual. Wild animals are wild animals regardless of whether or not one believes he understands them and they have come to understand him, because this can only result in the loss of human life.  

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