Timothy Treadwell - Genuine Conservationist, or Nut?

Timothy Treadwell was a passionate advocate for grizzly bears, who spent 13 summers in Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve. When not amongst the bears, he would travel throughout the United States, speaking with school children about his work. He also appeared on various television programs (including the Rosie O'donnell show), and co-wrote a book with Jewel Palovak, entitled "Among Grizzlies: Living with Wild Bears in Alaska", in which he discussed his myriad of adventures.

The remains of Tim, along with his girlfriend Amie Huguenard, were found on October 6, 2003 in Katmai National Park and Preserve, on the Alaska Peninsula. Willy Fulton, an air taxi pilot who had frequently transported Tim to and from the area each season, reported to the National Park Service and Alaska State Troopers that a brown bear was eating what appeared to be a human rib cage. He knew something was wrong, as Treadwell was not waiting for him where he should be, his bags packed and ready to go. He knew immediately that the bear was eating his friend. It was tragic to realize that Timothy Treadwell was killed by the animals he tried so hard to protect.

I do not recall hearing about the "Grizzly Man" until his death was reported in the news. At that time, my understanding was that he had been with the bears (in some capacity), and was then killed by them. My husband and I (fans of wildlife warrior Steve Irwin) decided to watch the movie on the Discovery Channel, to understand what exactly happened, and why.

Why was he killed? The answer to that seems obvious enough- He lived with bears. He did so for 13 years without real injury, but still- in that situation, you're always facing that end. He had no weapons, nobody to protect him from an attack, nothing. From all I saw of the film, while I don't think he wanted to die, you almost can't help but ask how could he become so lax with them? He wasn't just filming from afar. He was inside a "grizzly maze", which from my understanding is a protected area (though poachers do make an appearance there). The park service knew he was there, but he was pretty much on his own. He set up a camp hidden from the outside world, where it was beyond dangerous to be. Even he admitted on film that he should have set up his tent out in the open, so that bears would know where he was- not be startled by his presence, etc. He chose to not only film the bears, but to interact with them- touch them (or let them touch/sniff him), swim with them, play with cubs, you name it.

He claimed he was protecting them. First off, he didn't have guns. Secondly, he didn't want humans to know he was there. So how could he have given them any real protection? He obviously loved them. One might suggest he respected them, in his own way. He was very passionate- sometimes embarrassingly so, from what you see in his video recordings. Thing is, he didn't just care for the bears, he quite literally wanted to be one. Perhaps that was his downfall.

As much as I believe he thought he was doing a real service- in showing us what is so special about grizzly bears and why we shouldn't kill them- I don't know that I agree with his methods. He not only lived dangerously, but I think that quite frankly, he lived stupidly. Who in their right mind would spend the summers each year living amongst bears, for crying out loud? I mean, Steve Irwin might be a nut to a lot of people, but there was a line he knew he shouldn't cross. There was no pretending to be a croc (or any other creature)- sharing a meal with them, cozying up in a den with them, etc. Yes, in many ways he (Irwin) lived on the edge. But I don't think he ever forgot he was working with wild animals- who are unpredictable, at best. Wild animals are not pets; they are not our buddies. Constant human contact lowers the level of fear they have of us, which is never a good thing- for us or for them.

The Grizzly Man did feel a real connection with the grizzlies, which is something I do appreciate. He cared about their being poached. He never asked for money when he toured around the country to share his stories and his passion with children. He even founded "Grizzly People", a grassroots organization devoted to protecting bears and preserving their wilderness habitat. But I think at some point, part of him left reality. He felt himself distanced (physically and psychologically) from the human world. He left common sense behind, when he chose to set up camp in the middle of grizzly country to live amongst them. He also (in my opinion) set the wrong example for the children he was trying to educate.

That said, his death- and Amie's- is a real tragedy. It should never have happened. But he knew it was a real possibility. In fact, it is quite possible he filmed himself with the particular bear who killed him- a bear he half joked might take him down his gullet. What is also a tragedy is that the bear who killed him was also killed. Tim felt very strongly about this- if he were to die, he begged for the park service to spare its life. Instead, the grizzly was killed, to extract Tim and Amie's remains.

In the end, what we take away from his story isn't what he wanted us to. I have to wonder what those school children he met with would have thought of his actions, now being a few years older and wiser. What do they take from him raising a middle finger to the national park service? What do they take from him swimming in a stream with animals he'd like to be his best mates, then actual creatures to be respected from a distance? Do they know the boundaries not to cross? There are lessons here for all of us, and I hope we heed them.