Les Jones

I'm glad he got mauled. When I heard about it I laughed! I would love to see a video. You play with fire - you get burned!!
I think he watched too many Yogi bear cartoons and got confused.

Not only was he an idiot, he was also a fraud!

How comforting it must be for you two humanitarian perfectionists to luxuriate in the comfort of your keyboard and pass judgment on others. One can only assume you never make mistakes and are gifted with instant enlightenment on all subjects. I am only surprised that you deign to give your attention to the foibles of a mere human from your lofty perches.

Your comments only serve to prove your utter ignorance and inhumanity.

Timothys Friend,

I can tell by your comments that Timothy was a dear friend of yours and I don't blame you for upbraiding the two gentleman for their remarks about your him.

The only thought I have regarding Timothys untimely end, is that I wish the bear that
ate him would not have been dstroyed.On the contrary, I wish.the bear could have roamed his wild home,and crapped Timothy over hill and dale, inthat beautiful portion of Alaska that
Timothy so dearly loved.

I think Timothy would have wanted that, don't
you?

A Friend

He stood for soimething that he believed in, obviously! may you all burn in hell for not showing any remorse for the precious life that was lost! One day when you become dust i would take great honor in pissing over your grave Bitch!

wow some of you guys are sure mean.. you sound like real uneducated friggin morons. have a nice day

Well... the late Mr Treadwell had responsibility to another person who he bamboozled into this stupidity. So she died, because he was a flake, and she was flaky enough to believe that he knew what he was about.
Bears eat anything they can. People are not holy, people are meat. The bears ate Mr Treadwell and his lady. Such is stupidity, and Darwinian fitness rules

I've lived in the town of King Salmon all my life, and it happens to be roughly less than 150 miles from where Timothy was killed. Want some advice from somebody who's REALLY lived with bears? here you go. It's sad when anyone is killed, but he got what he deserved. He may have been stupid, but he made the choice freely. Too bad he dragged someone else into the equation, but then, how smart do you have to be to figure this out? What are bears?
They are omnivorous P-R-E-D-A-T-O-R-S. They have evolved to eat other animals. They're not that cute, they're not cuddly, they're not harmless, and they are most certainly not "party animals". Humans may not be on the main course list, but if you're stupid enough to put yourself into that kind of situation, you deserve everything you get. He may have been "protecting the bears" from non-existant poachers, but he managed to get two of the bears he loved so much killed. This is a classic example of why you shouldn't do drugs. If "frolicking with a bunch of 'harmless', 900 pound predators, whose sole purpose all summer is to eat," starts to sound like a good idea, then you need to have yourself committed, because you're permafried. Plus, how concerned about the welfare of the bears could he have been if he was putting himself into the kinds of situations where bears were in danger of be euthanized because of him. He was simply trying to make himself a name. "the amazing bear-whisperer, author, technical consultant, 'bear expert'" And I suppose the money wasn't a bad thing either. Analyze some quotes from the last hours of his life. "we'll set up camp here... we'll definitely get some good action in this spot." audio only "...God! help me!!! Hit it! Hit it with a skillet!!! ... it's killing me...!!" Wow, I guess he really WAS concerned about the well-being of the bears.

It's sad when humans lose their lives, just not when they lose it due to their own greed and ignorance.

Ty, good post, but you know, I kind of sympathize with the tree-huggers like Treadwell, and his defenders on here, just not to the extent that they insist on humanizing the bears.
For creeping up within feet of them and "serenading" mom and cubs, etc., Treadwell carried whatever distorted desire he had to "help" them, to the extreme of idiocy.
It's just like down here in coastal S.C. When the big West Indian Cyclones start marching across the south atlantic in the summer, it's very exciting to hang out on a jetty or pier and watch their effects. It's also stupid and dangerous. But, it's not a two-way street; when people fart around with the Griz the way Treadwell (and Huguenard) did, they are also putting the bears at risk, by de-sensitizing them to humans.
Was Treadwell so stupid as to think that, if there WERE poachers in Katmai, that by schmoozing with the brownies, he was making them LESS likely to get shot? Evidently, he was.

In the now-famous (and unlikely to be released by the Grizzly People!) tape, after years of "bonding" with the Katmai bears, the "glue" for Treadwell and Huguenard weakened, and they were converted into bearshit. In the event, Treadwell, far from being "proud to be turned into bear scat", evidently screamed in terror, just like some tourist from Cleveland, as large chunks of flesh were torn from his body and swallowed by his fellow "bondee".

In the..."dialogue"... between himself and Huguenard, when he was begging her to come and hit the bear with a frying pan, she seems to have thought better of taking on the largest land carnivore on earth with a skillet, and instead, may have restricted herself to offering some rather belated advice, as Treadwell was getting negatively involved in the food chain.

Obviously, whatever decision she made, it did her no good, as it soon became her turn. Treadwell's "fraternity boy" was nothing if not thorough, in his good-natured hi-jinks with the pair, and it's too bad that their enthusiasm for yet another photo-op, turned into the audio tape from hell. I'll bet they were nice people. I'd have enjoyed meeting them and debating this with them in person.

Now that that isn't possible, as another poster on this thread said, it's unlikely that Treadwell's efforts in ursine research will be repeated, no matter how zealous some of his acolytes may be. I think this is all to the good. The bears of Katmai can go on about their bearish business, and the people, like myself, who respect and admire them, and wish them well (from a few thousand miles away) can read about them and look at photos taken with lenses the size of launch tubes for Stinger Missiles.

Let Treadwell's story be the requiem, not just for himself, but for bear "research" that runs the risk of finding out that a big brownie may prefer Nat King Cole to Frank Sinatra.

Lastly, Merry Christmas, and a big Kodiak "urrp" to all.

Want to see the most truthfull account of Treadwell's misfortune? Check out the upcoming film "Deadly Passion" details for release at:www.cameraq.com

I can't wait to see the "most truthful"! Dave, I keep seeing your postings about Deadly Passion on all of these sites where ignorant mean spirited people speak freely in a cowards paradise- maybe you can have an impact on people who laugh and are happy when someone dies a horrible death.

Timothy Treadwell died from not employing proper bear protection techniques. The film "Deadly Passion" will address that senario along with expert explanations & interviews from Alaskan regional bear experts. The film "Deadly Passion" will examine the fact that humans cannot habituate themselves to coastal brown bears and hopefully will send a message that will educate.... humans & bears do not live in harmony in high density bear habitat. Deadly Passion will be by far the most compelling story of this tragedy, made by Alaskans who are concerned for coastal brown bear ecology and population dynamics.

wow. i just googled timothy's name after hearing about the movie that just premiered at sundance. He may have been too idealistic, but really guys-- to laugh at a person's violent death? you really have no shame about that? it's disgusting. at least the bears eat flesh out of instinct-- as humans, you should know better. instead, you're just assholes. and i bet none of you have a girlfriend either. have fun wanking off in front of the cool screens of your computers, boys.

Hey Kaplan,

When did you become a bear expert/film maker/museum director? I thought you counted little fish for a living.

Since I have spent over 600 days living in remote bear country on Kodiak and the Ak Pen does that mean I am an expert too?

I even met Treadwell once.

Hey Meathead: Never said I was a bear expert and certainly neither are you. It seems to me that you are certainly qualified to be a Meathead. Leave it alone out there, it may still grow.

Some great clear thinking posts here and of course cries from the unnatural nature lovers.
To Timmy's friends, yes, we DO make mistakes, all of us, but we DO try to avoid them and we DO see reality for what it is. Many of us love nature and Griz' as much as you, but we also know to carry an equalizer when on his turf - I'd recommend at least a .44 Magnum. Also keep in mind Griz' can run over 30 MPH and close on you in a few seconds: don't just carry the magnum be proficient with it, and if you can't stay on Hollywood stage sets!
Love nature, don't disrespect it. HBH

I respect a man who will leave the city, go find a connection with nature, etc. The cowards who say things like "I'm glad he got mauled," are sick and twisted sub-humans. Those sick people will never get it. Man has practically destroyed the earth with pollution, war, etc. What Treadwell was doing was statistically a lot safer than driving on any American freeway. At least he had the courage to break away from the madness of "modern civilization." I agree that he should have been more careful. But, like I said, how smart is it to drive 75 miles an hour and risk life an limb? That's just one example of things that people do that are a lot more risky and "crazy" than what Treadwell was doing.

anyone have Jewel Palovak's email?

Hi y'all,

I have to say that I find King Salmoner's commentary both interesting and insightful and I would like to add a comment of my own. The truth is that you don't have to go out into the unspoiled, beautiful wilderness to find tree-hugging kookoobirds that want to cuddle up with grizzly bears, mountain lions, lynxes and other dangerous creatures. There are plenty of nutjobs in the cities that keep predatory animals like 20 foot long pythons, six foot long Nile monitor lizards and even alligators in the same households with small children with the owners of such "sweet pets" claiming that they are so "gentle and placid".

sissy

Having just seen the film "The Grizzly Man" at our local film festival I have to say that I laughed out loud at Timothy Treadwell's antics in the same way that jesters entertained the court in the Middle Ages. And when the King didn't appreciate the jester's jokes he was dispensed with. I guess the grizzly didn't find Tim funny. The odd thing is that we do need people like Tim to make us laugh and appreciate the frailty and the amazing ferocity of nature. It is a real shame he and Amy had to die to get their point across.

After seeing the movie "The Grizzly Man" the conclusion one reaches is that Timoty Treadwall was an adrenalin junkie and a man who suffered from ADD as well as a bipolar disorder. The ranting outtakes at the end are scary. This was not a mentally healthy man, and I'm amazed that people eithr scoffed at him, calling him a crazy animal libber, or held him up as a second St. Francis.

I saw Deadly Passion and thought it was a wonderful film. Very objective and provided some amazing facts.

Poor bastard. But at least he died for something he was passionate about, eventhough he was mentally retareded. Bless his soul.

Hmmmm...."Bear Whisperer" killed by bears. As unthinkable, improbable, unreal, perhaps, as a soldier killed in a war, firefighter killed in a burning building, or a police officer killed during a drug bust? Biggest difference, though, is that all of the latter have given their respective lives in the service of fellow, sentient, human beings. Not lost their lives through hubris and systematic accumulation of ignorance.
Ever hear the old adage; "Familiarity breeds contempt"?
Which is how Tim ultimately came to treat these bear, contemptuously. Because, like any other force of nature; hurricane, tornado, fire, flood, blizzard, earthquake...etc. Grizzly care NOTHING
for ANY human being.
Bear neither knows nor cares of the intentions of a human (however "benign" or "moral" these intentions may be advertised as being), bear has no morality to tell it right from wrong (as defined by these same humans) bear only sees humans as threat or non-threat, food source or inedible, competitor for resources or not, no grey area exists. It's the duty of the Human Being, constantly and exclusively, to be aware of the inescapable, perpetual potential for death and guard against it. Because, as we all know, in an empty-handed struggle bear is always superior.
Bear didn't kill Treadwell, Treadwell killed Treadwell.

I am afraid of black bears here in Pennsylvania when I go hiking and I always carry a firearm -I can't imagine why Tim wouldn't AT LEAST keep a tranquilizer gun handy. Even the "docile" black bear has been known to attack and grizzlies/kodiaks are even more high strung. People are always telling me I'm paranoid, but I hope maybe now some will see that the adage "better safe than sorry" is applicable to bears. yes, a bear will attack you, yes even kill you. and when it's done it just might eat you . . .

Well, for those of you who want comment from a real bear expert....you got one. (Masters Degree, Wildlife Biology, University of Idaho) Studied the critters all of my life.

Treadwell was an IDIOT. I met him, talked to him. His entire perception of our ursine friends came from watching Disney movies. Bears are an ammoral predator.

His death will only become a tragedy if people don't learn their lessons from it. Tree hugging city dwellers got no place in the woods. Stay home...don't send any checks to the Sierra Club, Greepeace, or any of these BS organizations whose oly purpose is to fleece the Treadwells of this world by trying to sell them on an Edenic paradise that has never existed. Nature is cruel yet effecient and doesn't need your dollars....Stay the hell ou of the woods and stop creating problems for me and others who then have to clean up your mess and kill the creatures you think you're protecting.....freakin idiots.

I'm sorry Treadwell and his girlfriend died but I'm more sorry that the bears that ate him were destroyed because of him. Grizzly's aren't teddybears, he was an idiot if you ask me.

For the life of me, I can't understand why Treadwell would bring his girlfried to such a wilderness filled with grizzly bears. I believe that they attacked them, because she was with him, and he was not acting like an animal or bear when she was there. This worked to his undoing, and ultimately lead to his demise and her's. In one of the pictures, Treadwell was kissing a bear in the mouth. Suppose the two bears that killed him and his girlfriend were just jealous bears!

does anyone know where to find the audio?

My understanding is that bears (especially males) are reported to eat the cubs. Is it any wonder they decided to chew on Treadwell and his girlfriend? Play with fire and you get burnt.

Possibily, Treadwell's girlfriend Amy was menstruating and the bear perceived Timothy as a territorial threat. Treadwell was an idiot to endanger the life of an innocent person.

I'm a nature lover, born and raised in the southern Appalachian mountains. I've spent months at a time in the backwoods and had encounters with black bears on dozens of occasions. Treadwell was grossly misled in my opinion. I think his troubled past tells why he took these foolish risky chances. I sincerely love nature also. But a country boy raised around WILD nature would never feel the need to try to commune with grizzlies, only a confused yuppie. Wild nature does not set itself to man's clock, it just does what it does and that's that. But , hey, I respect him on a certain level for getting up off his ass and reaching out for beauty, even if it was in error, unlike alot of folks these days.

Dave, i'd have to disagree with you that there are 'no grey areas' concerning bears...spend real time around them long enough and sure enough, they do have distinct personalities, but yes, one should never feel so confident as to think they can 'know' the bear (familiarity). I've chased off (black) bear easily sometimes, other times stood and watched them for a moment, other times backed off slowly when I had come up on a 'problem' one, I've had false charges, and 1 swipe in 20 years. Never made a video and never want to....Of course a black in the lower 48 is not grizz in Alaska, that's a WHOLE different story . I would'nt think of going in grizzly country without at least some serious pepper spray. I've learned myself that bears are not pseudo automatons, but I will never be confused like Treadwell was, they're still wild nature. Best to observe them from a distance....Treadwell got killed by an older bear, probably hungry and thus forced out of the interior, was supposedly a tagged 'problem' bear in its youth? Spend time in the feeding zone like this dude did and it's really just a matter of number of grizzlies and time before an attack will occur. Griz is king of the food chain and we're on the menu!

Well, I lied.... I'm a human being and a thousand times more unpredictable, fickled, and screwed up than nature. I've decided to turn my bear skills into cold hard cash.... I will go up to Alaska, lasso a grizzly, and saddle him up, ride him around a bit on film if someone will pay me 2 million bucks and make me famous! See!! I'm a human! Are'nt we all so cool?? John Smith (Bear wannabe)

It was sad because he was just trying to live a dream and protect the animals he loved.

I feel really bad for anyone who knew these two and now have to live with the nightmare image that was their death. Indeed, I just heard about this story a few nights ago on a television show and was haunted all night and the day after by the image of the attack. The ironic part was that his naive, yet fame desiring pursuit of close ups with the bears may not have gotten him killed, as it appears that he was simply trying to run a bear out of his camp (the common approach among bear researchers when bears approach their camps).

I think that this story is unique in that it does shed some light on the attempts of many to demonstrate or push the idea that predator animals are simply misunderstood. I see this same phenomenon with many shark researchers, who now have the audacity to argue that great white sharks simply make mistakes when they attack humans. In fact, I have seen three different shows on the discovery channel and national geographic channel showing researchers going out and swimming (out of their cages) with great whites in order to show that they are not interested in humans as food. And I have heard so many divers parrot these same ideas about sharks (and laugh as if I am naive) that it makes me sick to my stomach. Was timothy also attacked by a bear that mistook him for a deer? Sadly, its just a matter of time before one of these shark resarchers is also attacked and we all pause and shake our heads and say what we have always known...that predator animals are unpredictable, and even though humans are not on the top of their food chain, given the right situations, they will purposely attack and eat humans. Is this so hard to accept? Cant we accept this obvious fact and still protect animals? I do feel extremely sad about Timothy and his girlfriend's death, but I also do not appreciate when people try to brainwash us with their agenda, and then die in a manner that depresses us all. Enough of the "animals are misunderstood and not harmful to people" crap..please. It reminds me of a person whose dog attacks a 4 year old girl and then places the blame on the girl for instigating the attack. Its a distorted way of thinking that is very similar to Timothy's ideology. Nope, your lack of understanding or denial that these animals are not entirely predictable and are capable of attaking people is to blame. But, when Timothy was killed, his girlfriend was the only casualty (and she had a choice not to be there if she wanted it). Sadly, when people practice the same ideology with animals that live amonst us, it is the truly the innocent who can be hurt. Please respect animals for their pros and cons and take the correct responsibility for owning them and being around them! Human safety should always come first. Ok, I have respectfully said my peace.

I was born and raised in Alaska. I have lived here 32 years, and have had plenty of encounters with bears of all kinds and other Alaskan wildlife. The only thing any one needs to know EVER, when in the wild is. This is not your living room, your not in your eazy chair, and this is not pay per view. You can die if the danger in front of you does'nt speak your same language. (animal, tornado, hurricane, volcano, river, cliff, or even human being) That language barier can, and most likely will kill you. Dont flirt with the wilderness, unless your prepared and are fully aware that you cant predict everything that happens in the woods. If your not prepared, you should just stay home or except the fact that when you are packing your bags for your weekend in the woods, you should probably update your will and testament and let the babysitter know you might not be comming home. If the animals dont get you the elements shure could. Dont let fear keep you from enjoying life.Get educated before you go.

Does anyone know where to find the audio?

First of all I'm not pleased that any one gets killed no matter how misguided. Mr. treadwell wasn't a vicitm of anything accept his own ego. The idea that any creature weighing 1000 lbs and possessing 5 inch claws is harmless party animal is foolish. Every living thing is imprinted with one desire TO SURVIVE. If an injured or starving carnivore is faced with his own death and is capable of eating you guess what? You're on the menu. To pose as an "expert" and parade around in front of a camera next a top of the food chain preditor is misleading the public into thinking that these are 'harmless" Disney characters. I hope that Mr. Treadwell's death at least serves as a lesson to treat all wild things with the respect that they deserve.

Where oh where can you find the audio? And Ty, leave drugs out of this equation. Hasn't there been enough pain and suffering caused by these events? Must drugs be made to suffer as well?

Treadwell's story reminds me in a lot of ways about the guy in which Into the Wild was written about. For different reasons they both ventured out into the wilderness which, in turn, led to their demise. Be it their actions or their ignorance or their courage, I don't believe anyone has the right to point a finger at who is to blame except those who were there at the time. And, evidently, the wilderness prefers not to be involved in squabbles such as this.

My guess is that whoever owns the rights to the tape of Timothy and Amie being eaten by that grizzly (who I do feel sorry for--he was not a monster, just a hungry old bear doing what came naturally) is probably keeping pretty tight control over its dissemination precisely so that it doesn't end up on the Internet. I'm thinking that the scene in "Grizzly Man" in which Werner Herzog is shown crying as he listens to the tape on headphones may have been staged that way precisely because the Treadwell estate or whoever owns the tape wouldn't let him use even an excerpt in the film's soundtrack, again because once it got into the film it would end up on Rotten.com. This isn't to say that it isn't as horrifying as has been described. Probably only a hard-core sadist would be able to listen to two human beings being eaten alive by a bear and not wish that s/he hadn't.

It amazes me that there are so many people that walk this earth with the ability to pass judgement on a man that they never knew. Undoubtably, more people will come away from seeing the documentary with the mis-guided opinion that Timothy was a foolish, arrogant, reckless individual whose mind had achieved a dilusional level of fantasy by living with bears. In the mere 103 minutes that they view this film, droves of people will determine that Timothy Treadwell was purely and simply an idiot. What amazes me even more is the overwhelming consensus that his time with these bears projected dangerous messages to mankind that grizzlies were misunderstood and alas approachable. The people that share that opinion along with those that carry dimestore psychology degrees are the truly foolish inhabitants of our society.

I met Timothy in 1992 while I was working in a photolab in Northridge, CA. He came in with these beautiful images of Alaskan wildlife in search of low cost photofinishing for his non-profit grizzly awareness organization. He was soft-spoken, humbly dressed (understatement) and riding an old beat-up Kawasaki motorcycle. The pictures he had us print out were for the purpose of handing out to the scores of school children that he presented his slide shows to. We were simply fascinated by these images of Grizzlies and the insight they provided into their world. I regret now that I was never able to attend one of the many workshops Tim gave despite the many kind invitations. Timothy didn't con us into special pricing, we were happy to participate in his passion in any way that we could. He was genuine in every degree. Timothy made it known to us that we were always welcome to print and keep any number of pictures of his slides for ourselves. He was almost embarrassed on one occasion when I asked him to autograph several of his photographs that I had output for myself. Upon agreeing to do so, Timothy scrolled his name in tiny letters to avoid taking away from the true message of his work, the bears. In his book, Among Grizzlies, Timothy gave thanks to me. my girlfriend Laura and many others to show his gratitude for helping him in those early years
of his work.

I'm not a trusting man by nature but I never questioned the sincerity of his story, his effort or his passion. Nor do I now. On a handful of occasions, I had the opportunity to spend time with Tim socially. He never wore his cause on his sleeve by attempting to be the center of attention with stories of living amongst grizzly bears. The man was genuinely kind, caring and more than willing to engage in conversation about what was going on in our own personal lives. I never inquired into his past or the origin of his accent but I was somewhat astonished to hear him confess of his former lifestyle of inebriation. He didn't seem capable of ever having been anything other than the sweet spirit that he projected.

I suppose a good chunk of the population would prefer he died anonymously, on the dirty streets in a drunken driving accident rather than see his sensationalized death awarded fame for engaging in a seemingly foolhearted attempt to understand and appreciate the precious existence of creatures with whom we share this world. Yet, it affords them the opportunity to share with all of us, the danger of risk and the wisdom of ignorance.

But, I knew the man, Timothy Treadwell. In doing so, I'll go to my grave, in whatever manner, knowing that those years he spent with the bears of Alaska brought fulfillment to his soul in a way few people will ever hope to achieve. Rest in peace, my brother to the bear. We who love you know your truth.

Jay Darrough
Dallas, TX

Well put, Mr. Darrough. 12+ years of doing what he did must certainly earn Timothy Treadwell respect from any intelligent person. I'm shocked at the insensitivity and ignornance illustrated in some of the posts I read and can only assume they are merely jealous of what a simple man like Mr. Treadwell accomplished....as they sat on their butts in front of their computer screens passing judgment.

The fact that Treadwell lasted as long as he did out there amazes me. I saw "Grizzly Man" last night and came away with one conclusion. The man needed help. It was stated in the movie that Mr. Treadwell was diagnosed with some disorder or another and was prescribed medication, which he refused to take. I am convinced that Treadwell posessed a death wish. The man knew it was only a matter of time before his number was up. I just cannot comprehend why he would subject his friend amy to such a grizzly fate as well. It is my humble opinion that his friends, family, and the NPS could have clearly seen this was the case and taken some action or another to improve the mans emotional state of being. I understand he was passionate, but it was my contention that society failed him by not getting him the help he truly needed. I'm not a doctor by any means but I am not so stupid as to see when someone is in trouble.

I have always been into wildlife and nature.
I have done things like Treadwell like others have done. messed with wildlife knowing the danger. but I loved to learn from nature. I would not mind hearing the audio to this. I would not wish I never heard it. If the audio was out to the public it would sure as hell teach others mistakes to all more clear. but I can imagine what it sounded like. I no longer pester wildlife just becuse you can't have good luck all the time every time. close call or ending up as poo. never been to Alaska but I have had family go to the wilds there and never comeback. take it easy, think ahead.

I'm suprised he lasted as long as he did. Obviously not as smart as he thought he was. Wild carnivores are very dangerous flesh eating organisms, they are mindless and will eat each other with cold hearted brutality . It was a shame his life had to end unnecessarily; he could have done much more for the bears if he would have behaved more responsibly. Ask any person who lives in the bush and has to deal with the bears in a real way, like guarding their children and livestock. What a waste. I'm sure his concept of bears and bear behavior changed while he was being eaten alive. I hope it serves as a lesson for those who think they know what they're doing when living among the bears.

I see a lot of folks on here alternately ridiculing and sanctifying Treadwell. I never met the guy so I can't effectively pass judgement on HIM, I will however judge his ACTIONS. Those which got him, and his unfortunate and apparently gullible girlfriend killed. His actions were criminally self-delusional and ultimately suicidal; and, if you count the girlfriend as an unwilling participant: murderous. Just like the junkie who sticks a needle in his arm once too often, the chronic drunk who climbs behind the wheel that one last time, or even, say, a veteran skydiver who becomes complacent in his gear check on what then becomes his final jump, Treadwell ultimately allowed his internal subjective belief system to completely override his ability to deal rationally with external objective reality.
He "forgot": "You can believe what you want to believe, but it won't change reality".
Humans can be quite good at creating entire universes which exist only in their own minds, yet this is not reality. A hungry or threatened Grizzly on the offensive, no matter your beliefs, is sheer, abject, irrefutable, reality.
I have no reason whatsoever to doubt that he was a sweet, sincere, kind, loving, dedicated guy. And all of these commendable traits were absolutely inconsequential. They mattered not the least in his ability to assess his situation nor, in what may pass for a Bears thought processes, in it's quest for nourishment and assessment of Treadwell as a food source. You may choose not to believe in Gravity, but you will still fall when leaping from a bridge. You may choose not to believe in combustion as you stride bravely into an inferno, you will still burst into flames. Or; if you choose to believe that these huge, indifferent, uncaring carnivores are the kind, harmless cartoon characters of your imagination, you will be consumed. A very unkind truth of life is that it only takes that one final, fatal act of ignorance to completely expose and repudiate your life of fantasy. Treadwell's finality simply had the additional tragedy of public scrutiny.

I grew up in central British Columbia. I spent my childhood outside exploring the woods. There were two animals I did not want to run into, Grizzly Bears and Mountain Lions. Treadwell was clearly delusional, it is a very sad thing to see someone who so obviously had a mental disorder allowed to continue on such a self destructive path. I do not know his personal situation, if he had family or relatives who should have stepped in. Perhaps they were just happy to see that he had cleaned up.

Whatever the case, I think we can safely say Mr Treadwells heart was in the right place, his head just wasnt.

I don't think I could watch the movie Grizzly Man, though I considered doing so when it came to a film festival in my city. Personally, my belief is that Treadwell's mental disorder led him to live with the grizzlies and to ultimately end up killed by one. I myself love bears - I wrote an article about two polar bear cubs at the local zoo, and I joke that I'm not boy-crazy; I'm bear-crazy - but that "love" isn't the kind of love that I would feel for a cat or dog, where I want to live right with them. Enjoy nature, but know when to keep your distance when necessary

After reading and seeing the video clip of his up coming or released movie "Grizzly man" I am quite blown away. My personal view is this guy was gifted to a degree. What I have read and seen through video clips of the closeness he developed with bears is unique.

Some say he is a flake, well to a degree he went further out on limb then many would. BUT I see no difference between him and the crocodile guy from down under as well. They both share a huge fascination and passion of their choice of wildlife. The only thing is one is toast because he just pushed the envelope a little fair. I will see this movie asap. I had thought at one time their was leaked audio of the attack. All I can think is that what went on in the last few moments for both those persons should be left alone.

Some call him a flake, I do not look at him that way at all I just think this was his passion and you know what he died for it. He had a knack to be among bears more so than many to date. It is amazing in its own on how close he was able to put himself with bears over his 13 yr run. One thing for sure is he has provided some awesome footage of a wild and unique animal, the grizzly.

For that I appreciate what he has done and feel sorry for what happened to his companion but I truly think it was only a matter of time......

I have sympathy and admiration of Tim...

Although I believe he stepped out on a risky limb, it was his choice and his life...

I hope the highs of his accomplishments in some way equalized his early death... And as far as his girl friend was concerned, she also made her choices, she wasnt a hostage...

This is the logic I find in what they did. As a mountaineer (only one of many dangerous passions folks are partaking in out there in their own self intrest), a person takes the risks for the benefits as they see fit...

In the presence of the natural world, the sheer power and deadliness of it all also reveals its stunning beauty in the most humbling of all human experiences...

All of you armchair quarterbacks sitting out there passing judgment don't know crap... You will never feel it, only read about it intellectually...

Finding the boundaries of risk on any true venture will always be a grey area, even for the adventurer considered the most sane...

What really pisses me off is this idiot, "David Kaplan" trying to make a buck off of someone he doesnt even respect... Disgusting piece of (ahem) yeah you know...

~ CountingCoup

Wasn't Tim really just showing us something about America? Heeehe. Would a poor person from a third world country ever possibly have this great need to do such a thing? Or for that matter a poor person from our own streets? Tim was a white suburbanite reaching out for truth, was he not simply a punk skateboarder who got a thrill when a thousand pound dog took an interest in him? Heehe. And this talk about let's "save" the bear while we pursue our next documentary, desensitize the bear? Hmmmm...all these folks pursuing their 'pure' interests, loving the grizzlies up close, climbing mountains, hanging by 1 hand and shit for that extra special pic, in their own little clan with its own rules, language, gortex hugging their ass and all, etc. that is closed to the rest of us, that we "will never feel" what they feel? What do I say? WHO GIVES A RAT'S ASS? Leave your Malibu and reach out to the have not's of our so called civilized society. Making real contact with hurting people in need, that's something real, something genuine, that cannot be bought. That is what your after, isn't it? Did Isaac Newton ever climb your mountain? So he did'nt FEEL what you felt when you did. Damn, that was a great loss. I myself felt great passing a great clinker this morning and it is a pity that you will just never understand because you were'nt there, damn you!! Heehe

If I thought you knew shit about Issac Newton we could have a discussion on its relevence to this subject, but its off topic and comparing physics and third world country motivation to pursuing a passion in your life that may involve risks is like comparing bartending and poetry. There is no connection, have another drink...

As far as comparing mountaineering to thrill seeking just shows how out of touch you are with "feeling it"...

And as far as if I care whether you give a Rats Ass about anything is presumptious on your part. Get another bag of chips, turn off your reality tv program and sit down and think of a good point for your next post, since you haven't made one yet...

~ CountingCoup

If I thought you knew shit about Issac Newton we could have a discussion on its relevence to this subject, but its off topic and comparing physics and third world country motivation to pursuing a passion in your life that may involve risks is like comparing bartending and poetry. There is no connection, have another drink...

As far as comparing mountaineering to thrill seeking just shows how out of touch you are with "feeling it"...

And as far as if I care whether you give a Rats Ass about anything is presumptious on your part. Get another bag of chips, turn off your reality tv program and sit down and think of a good point for your next post, since you haven't made one yet...

~ CountingCoup

Question: Why must so many of you continue to analyze Timothy's life as if were some kind of instructional manual on the disturbed? Do we think that because of books and film that we have been presented with the entire scope of reality? If you didn't know him, any opinion or analytical diagnosis you share is stinking up the room with verbal flatulence. You have nothing to compare his story to other than what you've read or seen as presented by a third party.

Granted, I was shocked, literally, to hear that Amie had been killed alongside Timothy. I never, ever, would have imagined that he would allow another person to go with him to Alaska. He knew the danger was just too great. For anyone to suggest that he coerced, convinced or commanded Amie to accompany him out there only illustrates the ignorance it takes to make such a statement. I can only guess, and I'm in danger of joining those that foolishly made statements based on analysis, but I can only guess that Amie must have done quite a bit of campaigning or pleading with Timothy in order for him to agree to have her with him for more than a short period of time. He must truly have thought that he had found a soulmate in Amie because no other person in his life could possibly have been invited to join him. That realization likely cost him their lives. He knew and emphasized that what he did was not child's play. I have theorized, early on, that perhaps Amie's menstrual cycle may have contributed to the behavior of the bear responsible for killing them...an opinion shared here in a post by D. Leidel. I heard nothing from the autopsy that confirms or denies whether this is true. That is the only factor that I can come up with that varied from Timothy's presence of the 12 years prior. Timothy had the trust of these bears. It cannot be denied when one realizes that maternal bears left their cubs with him nearby to foriage in another location. To me, that is the most astonishing aspect of Timothy's research in all of the time he spent with them. It is unheard of.

I'll grant some credence to the idea that Timothy had definitely drifted into a dilusional state. His mannerisms in the film did disturb me. The person he was in this film was sensational to say the least. Comparing that man to the man I met over 10 years ago he appeared to be quite comically dramatic with regard to his role in protecting the bear. I'm not ever going to say that there was a side to Timothy that I never met. I believe there is a side to everyone that stays in the shadows of our minds. But Timothy shot straight with me. I demanded that from him and anyone I consider friend. He did not wish to die and the loving, caring core that defined his persona wanted harm to befall noone.

Grizzly Man
I went to see the Timothy Treadwell documenatary tonight. It is a great film. Werner Herzog did an amazing job piecing together Treadwell's footage to tell a story of his life's work and death in the wilderness. Although I disagree with Herzog's view of the wilderness as "a natural kingdom filled with chaos and violence", I clearly see Treadwell's view as the extreme oppostite of the wilderness particulary regarding the grizzly bear.
Without having known him or seeing all 100 hours of Treadwell's footage it is impossible to accurately judge him, based soley on the footage Herzog chose to use in his film. I have had an opportunity to see some footage while Treadwell was still living. My impression was that the work he was doing with the bears was sensational and that he was studying the animals too closely. It was apparent, based on his approach to his work, that he was neither a trained researcher or a scientist. The film confirms my initial impression was correct and that Treadwell was probably also emotionally unstable, somewhat dilusional about his relationship with the bears and highly eccentric. Also, some of the facts of Treadwell's life points to a desire to acheive fame and recognition. Something he was obviously hoping to acheive with his work with the grizzly bear. Still, his 13 years of devoted work in Alaska's Katmai National Park documenting the life of the grizzly is impressive, enlightening and will prove to be very valuable. He managed to capture many hours of brilliant footage and photography of bear, the surrounding wilderness and other animals, such as the fox. He had charming relationships with several individual fox. Even his death, while tragic, especially the death of his girlfriend Amie, still has to be admired for the fact he died doing the one thing he loved.

Wow, almost speechless, which doesn't happen often. I just saw the Discovery Channel - Anatomy of a Bear Bite and my morbid curiosity brought me here to the computer to maybe, just maybe, find a snipit from that audio tape on the internet. Sucks that I'd want to actually hear two people being killed in such a horrific way. But, what suprised and shocked me more than anything about the program, the attack (from a wild creature which everyone knows are unpredictable) or my own desire to hear the audio was coming here to read some of the posts. Why on earth I was so shocked to read how totally unconcerned, uncaring and just plain empty hearted some people in the world can be, I'll never know. I mean it's on the news every day but reading someone's thoughts being but to paper with such malice, blame, ugliness ... wow. Actually, I feel sorry for the people that posted those things about his and his companions death. How very sad and empty your life must be to see things through hollow eyes. Oh, and I no longer want to hear the audio.

For starters, let's clear some things up. People who mock the death of another human being are the ones who belong in the digestive tract of a bear. And I'm not just saying that. Secondly, having read the book written by the third party observer it's clear that Treadwell did understand the danger involved. He simply chose to disregard it. Of course anyone who believes that he "Got what he deserved," had better pray to God that poetic justice doesn't pay them a visit if they disregard traffic laws, safety procedures, swim in the ocean where sharks may be present at any time or takes risks with their lives. Perhaps some of you may "Get what you deserve" as well, and may you be treated with the same respect you've shown this man. Hey, while we're on the subject Treadwell wasn't killed while photographing bears, he was killed defending his tent from a potentially aggressive bear. The fiend!

One thing I'm REALLY curious about: how would getting cuddly with bears (as Timothy did) save them from humans?
Ok, so what IF bears are completely harmless? So are birds and many other creatures, yet 1 species still goes extinct every few hours. I thought Timothy was at least somewhat educated, so shouldn't he realize that it's mainly habitat loss that kills animals? (not because bear-phobic humans kill them out of fear)
Even if Timothy successfully proved that bears are completely harmless, his efforts would've been a complete waste (in terms of actually protecting the bears).

As a consumate animal lover and I must say that I feel a certain kinship with Timothy and his appreciation of the bears. He had the courage of his conviction, a trait I deeply admire. Mankind seemingly feels nothing towards the tragic extintion of so many species, and it is heartening to see true passion, however naive. Are we so terribly arrogant to believe that mans interest and convience come at the expense and very existance of another living species? Surely, man himself can be the most trite of all the good Lords' creatures. We say, bless you Mr. Treadwell, we hope you have found peace.

I actually did a review on Grizzly Man. Here it is:

Review of Grizzly Man

A couple of years ago my brother told me of a man who had lived among grizzly bears in Alaska and was later killed by one. This man had apparently thought that grizzlies could be tamed and taught not to attack humans. Evidently he was wrong. I then vaguely remembered seeing a magazine article with a photograph of a man standing face to face with a large bear. Though I didn’t connect the picture with my brother’s story at first, they came together for me with the recent release of the documentary Grizzly Man.

The title character of the film refers to Timothy Treadwell, a self-described bear expert and freelance environmentalist who spent time with the grizzlies of Alaska’s Katmai National Park for thirteen summers in a row. In October 2003, he, along with his latest girlfriend Amie Huguenard, was fatally mauled by a hungry bear.

Directed and narrated by veteran German filmmaker Werner Herzog, Grizzly Man includes footage Treadwell took of himself, the park, and the animals there - mostly bears, but foxes too - as well as interviews with people who knew him, such as his parents, an ex-girlfriend, and friends of both sexes. There is even a clip of Treadwell being interviewed by David Letterman.

The scenes from Katmai Park are so breathtakingly beautiful that it is almost worth seeing the movie just for them. The bears are another story. When the first shot of Treadwell standing unarmed (he never took bear spray, let alone weapons, on his visits) in the middle of the park with the bears came on, I felt scared, as if it were me there. I then relaxed, though, on watching him get up close to the bears, talk to them, and touch their noses. He treats the foxes almost like dogs: he pets them, has them lie at his feet and so on. The fox cubs pictured are adorable. Grizzly Man is obviously a fascinating film for people interested in wildlife.

We also learn about Tim Treadwell’s life. He was born in New Jersey to a middle-class American family. His parents describe his childhood as normal. They note he always loved animals. Though he received a swimming scholarship to a college, he eventually dropped out of school and moved to Malibu, California.

A darker side of Treadwell later emerges, however. After trying out but failing to get the role of the bartender in the TV series Cheers [note: some sources say Treadwell’s claim to have auditioned for Cheers was not true; see my note on his habit of stretching the truth], he went on a downward spiral. He began drinking excessively, taking drugs, and became very depressed. A former girlfriend of his mentions that he fell in with dangerous people. He also refused the medication his doctor prescribed for depression.
Nevertheless, Treadwell managed to overcome his alcoholism and drug addiction. He made a promise to the bears that he would give up drinking and devote his life to them, and so began his journey to Alaska every summer for the next thirteen years.

Werner Herzog is careful to present a balanced picture of Treadwell by interviewing both people who thought well of him and those who did not. Treadwell’s ex-girlfriend speaks of him fondly. Together they founded a group called Grizzly People to help the bears. Two environmentalists praise his efforts to raise awareness about the grizzlies’ plight. Other interviewees, though, are less complimentary. The pilot who took Treadwell to Katmai Park every summer describes him as an arrogant attention seeker and blames him for Amie Huguenard’s death. An Alaskan Native man, the curator of a museum, is sceptical of Treadwell’s tendency to approach the bears as if they were domestic animals. Alaskan Natives, he says, have shown their respect for the grizzlies for thousands of years by keeping their distance from them. (The curator’s words reminded me of those of an Irish woman who was baffled by British animal rights activists barricading themselves in front of cattle trucks to stop the cows from being slaughtered. In Ireland people regarded the killing of cows for food as part of the life cycle.)

So was Timothy Treadwell a glory seeker or a friend and defender of the grizzly bears? I would say a bit of both. It is true that much of the footage he shot was of himself rather than the bears. On the other hand, he genuinely loved the bears. His weeping over a dead bee seems to show a concern for all creatures, even if that concern appears somewhat misplaced.

One reason for Treadwell’s seemingly eccentric behaviour which is touched upon but never explored in detail is the fact that he was probably mentally ill. Some sources suggest he had bipolar disorder, or manic depression. This disease causes patients to have manic “highs” and alternate periods of depression (“lows”). We hear of Treadwell’s depression from his ex-girlfriend. In the footage of himself in Alaska, we see his manic side. One example is his illusion of grandeur: he views himself as the bears’ only protector against poachers and the indifference of the US parks authorities. When he rails against the park rangers and their superiors, shouting obscene language and giving the finger to the camera, he looks positively insane. The signs of bipolar disorder seem to have been present before his pilgrimage to Alaska. One symptom is a penchant for spinning extravagant and unlikely stories. For instance, in Malibu Treadwell told people he was an Australian orphan (how he expected them to believe this boggles the mind; after all, it’s hard to pretend to be Australian without the right accent).

I therefore came to the uneasy conclusion that Treadwell’s work with the grizzlies may very well have stemmed from a chemical imbalance in the brain rather than the noble desire to defend the bears or the not so noble one to attract attention. He thus perhaps deserves to be pitied instead of glorified, ridiculed, or condemned, as some people have done. Yet even a “normal” person might recognize aspects of him- or herself in Treadwell. For example, he credits his recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction to the bears in the same way that others attribute theirs to God or Jesus. While he states at one point, “I have no idea whether there’s a God,” the need to believe in something greater than oneself - in Treadwell’s case, the bears - is a universal human characteristic.

I suppose I identified to a certain extent with Treadwell’s fondness for animals. I happen to love bears. I once told a woman who sold carvings of bears that I wasn’t boy-crazy; I was bear-crazy. I also see how some people’s attachment to animals can at times become unreasonable. For instance, the late Canadian Prime Minister William Mackenzie King claimed to communicate with the spirit of his dead dog. But like the Alaskan Native curator, I believe in keeping a respectful distance from the bears. Maybe Treadwell’s foray into the Alaskan wilderness symbolized modern man’s longing for a more “natural” environment away from the artificiality of urban life.

So as an animal lover and movie watcher, I recommend seeing Grizzly Man.

I bet Timothy Treadwell would have negative feelings about Leonardo DiCaprio getting the starring role in the movie that is to be made sometime soon. He would probably have feelings of envy and jealousy if he were alive. But I have no doubts that movie will be a blockbuster. We really are living in crazy times where the line between reality and fantastic idealism can be grey. As I have read about this tragedy, I ran the gamout of emotions ranging from deep sympathy for the victims to inevitable boredom. And that is the really good reason they should not have sacrificed their lives...no one really cares about them or the bears. (yawn) ....bears! I always hated the look of those ugly critters! I will see the films and read the books anyway, the scenery looks wonderful, so thanks much, Timothy. I will think a nice prayer for you and Amie. May God rest your eternal souls. Or maybe reincarnate you as you wish. hmmmm interesting word...reincarnate.

I can't seem to find out (read) why no one communicated better with each other and warned Timothy about the extra bear fights (different bear behavior such as the bears not leaving scraps of salmon they caught, but eating them entirely and fighting for that scarce salmon...also the scarce berries etc. that summer of 2003.) and the EXTRA 60 bears in the area that October. This was reported by the small group of photographers that were 5 miles in a straight line from where Timothy was that day. Timothy had (a telephone) means of communication with Willy Fulton (the pilot) that was scheduled to pick them up that day. That is the real stupidity in this world, all these people have all kinds of tele-communication, think they are doing their jobs, and yet not one of them thinks to avoid a tragedy. The man or woman that has wisdom among caos is a real leader. It's too bad more people aren't more concerned with others and the possible danger they might be in. To go that extra mile for the "Timothys of the world" that have a difficult time heeding the advice of others. The people that knew Timothy was child-like (perhaps mildly retarded) should have had his best interests at heart. Why didn't Jewel keep in communication with the park officials, ask about the bear situation? This was different situation in 2003, Timothy had not stayed in the area as long as into the month of October before, he had always left at the end of the summer, when "his" bears went into hibernation. They (Jewel and the others that funded Grizzly People) DID know something about bear behavior, read about it, talked about it, didn't they? Katmai Park officials would have told Jewel the unusual bear situation that October...the scarce food (berries etc.) that summer. She was not unable to take care of important matters. She had the fore-thought to get the legal matters (the will, power of attorney) taken care of. Maybe all these people deserved each other...I don't know. It's likely Amie was miss-directed. Maybe she was perfect for Timothy. Her father tells her about the "nut-case" and she goes right ahead and starts up a romance with him. If I was Timothy and Amie's parents, I would sue them all. Maybe that is why after talking to her high-powered attorney Jewell (or they) told the police in Alaska that Timothy was "estranged" (or words to that affect) from his parents, and she had power of attorney. Those people think of everything don't they?....except what possibly could have saved the lives of Timothy and his lady friend. PS: Last night I happened to see on TV, the movie "Outdoor /something with John Candy and the hideous grizzly bear scene. That scene was not funny (as I saw before), but horribly ugly now that I see what Timothy and Amie faced on their dying day. That hugh, gaping, ugly mouth and sound...horrible. I do not see what beauty is in these fat, ugly, fighting and killing among themselves animals when they are not sitting like some dumb "teddy bears" on the meadow!

I just finished watching Grizzly Man and have mixed views. The guy definitely died doing what he loved, but he was eccentric at the very least.

Now for the part that mostly gets ignored here as I am sure it will this time as well. I have heard that the audio is floating around in cyber space somewhere but can't seem to find it. Anyone know if this is true and perhaps where?

While Timothy Treadwell might have possessed good intentions, he needlessly placed himself in a dangerous situation. Grizzly bears are extremely unpredictable animals, and for Treadwell to actually cohabitate with them was brazen but at the same time foolhardy. Even his closest friends said he should not have pursued such a suicidal endeavor, and the fact that another human being, Amy Huguenard, was also killed only compounds the tragedy. Timothy simply made one fatal error and that was it. He had left food out unattended at his campground, which caught the attention of one of the bears. When Timothy went out to investigate, the bear understandably felt he was being encroached upon and attacked, killing him and Amy both. In conclusion, though Timothy Treadwell possessed some limited knowledge about grizzly bears due to his many experiences with him, it was ultimately an accident waiting to happen.

Like all possible disasters or thing that could go wrong when camping under the stars; one has to be prepared;be prepared to take care of herself then the one you may be with; then plan B for the big shibang!! I can't say I would put my living quarters & the smells that sloughs off of my gear right in the middle of a bear thouroughfair (sp) but I can tell you that if I did I would be ready to protect my brain and run like the wind!
I beleive that Timothy had a death wish. Those of us that have done the drug scene, the highs & lows, the all alone & all I need is this chair, as this ashtray. recognized his behavior. I was much more surprised that a bear didn't just bite his fuckin nose right off being fed up with being baby talked to then his actual, painful, long & lonely expiration of a heart so full of needing to belong.

I was living in King Salmon in 2003 when Timothy was killed. State Troopers tried to stop him from going into that area. State Troopers also were very concerned that he did not have any protection. He was very aware of the danger and he went in there any way. I have lived in Alaska for 11 years and I never go into the wilderness without my 454 or 500 S&M. It is better to have a gun and not need it, then need and a gun and not have it and by the way I harvested a nice nine foot bear that year and can not wait to get another.

Aside from the insane looking coroner - did anyone else ever see the autopsy report? Is Treadwell really dead - is he still out there marvelling at the attention....and living in peace somewhere...?

I just watched "Grizzly Man". I live each day with someone suffering from bipolar disorder. Five minutes into the film the signs were clear to me. When you live it, you tend to recognize it easily. His friends mentioned his sever mood swings, deep depression, etc.
He was obviosuly self-destructive, another symptom. His racing thoughts from mania came out clearly in his insane babbling and repetitive manner of speech. Another symptom was his obvious feeling of invincibility. All bipolars when in a manic high feel that they are totally invincible. "nothing can harm me!"
He obviously suffered from paranoia as well. Feeling the world was out to get him. I personally think his "so-called" friends could have helped him more by getting medical treatment for him instead of raising him higher on his self made pedestal. His so-called work did much more harm than good. You DON'T go into the wild and try to tame God's wild creatures. And he certainly wasn't protecting them.
As the saying goes..."sometimes you eat the bear, but sometimes the bear eats you..."

To you idiotic cowards who type your BS about Tim, I would like to see you walk up to a full sized Grizzly and have it snap at you and you in turn slap it!!!!!!!! You would mess all over yourselves!!! Especially the sissy that talks how he is it happened. You are a piece of dung!!!!!!!
Timothy had a passion that your conventional life could never come close to...
Some call it stupidity but oh what those people lack in human spirit.
Timothy was a man among the most feared Bears an he loved them like brothers. The one thing that upsets me is he should have put Amy on that plane...
If God granted your wish Tim, then I know you still walk among the Grizzlies...

MY OPINION IS THE AUDIO TAPE OF TIM AND AMY'S BRUTAL DEATH SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE AND LISTENED TO BY PEOPLE BEFORE THEY ENTER THE REFUGE!!!
AS GRUESOME AS IT IS, IT WOULD CERTAINLY STOP THE DEAD HEADS FROM VENTURING OUT WHERE THEY DON'T BELONG.
AS FOR TIMOTHY, HE DIED WHAT HE LIVED FOR AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. CRAZY YES, BUT I DO ADMIRE ANYONE THAT DOESN'T BACK DOWN FROM A FULL GROWN GRIZZLY WITH NO GUN...CAN YOU DO THAT???

If I was a bipolor tree hugging freak from the lower forty eight I would stand up to any bear on this planet, but I am not. I came to Alaska to enjoy all of its beauty and activities in peace. Do all Alaskans a favor and keep your tree hugging asses out of my state our it might not be the bear that gets you!!!

to the guy who is writing to the so-called "idiotic cowards"...walking up to a bear and slapping it isn't brave, it's just stupid!
Timothy had NO clue what he was doing. He was a disturbed amateur that was destined for nothing more than the death he got. So let me get this straight...people that DON'T walk up to an 800 pound wild grizzly and slap it in the head have a lack of human spirit. WOW!...talk about delusional. If you feel that way, why aren't you taking up where he left off? The harm that man did to those bears is appallable. He tried to get wild grizzlies to be used to humans. Talk about a poachers dream. A bear that doesn't run away when he sees a human. but instead walks up to it so he can get shot between the eyes. Yup, makes perfect sense to me!the guy named Hunter above is right. Stay the Hell away from Alaskan bears! They have as much right to their privacy as any creature on this planet. And if you REALLY think timothy was protecting the bears from poachers, go read the statistics!

I found your discussion while researching sept.11th and coming across Timothy's name on a site. I somehow had missed the big story of Amie and his death,and had been playing catch up. I came in at the top of this and I must say I am shocked by some of the negative commentary. Timothy was not a pioneer in risk, there are many brushing the nervous sweat from their brow saying a collective "phew". We even called/call some of them brave,daring, we glorify the gangster,killer,terrorist..... Why should we think we are somehow better? Today in my city it may be just as dangerous to go clothes shopping and I am not exaggerating. In a six week period two brothers, under 21 my best friends nephews have been murdered. A young girl just shopping on boxing day,dead. On my suburban street a woman was beaten with a baseball bat,a man murdered in his home. I see people stagger out to their cars and proceed to take all our lives into their hands,jay walkers,speeders,red light runners,drug users,sky divers,and why would anyone want to climb a mountain??? Maybe for the credit card commercials? I know little about the personal life of "the man who loved bears too much", I never had the pleasure so I have no right to say anything. (Talking about his mental state, are we his doctor?) Nor should anyone else unless it is to fact find, learn, then neither Timothy,Amie nor the bears will have died in vain :) To his friends ,he is a very lucky man. To his nay sayers, and debunkers, all I can say is look both ways/Be careful in the ashphalt jungle! Now I must go find a listing for the movie....~©I©V©~

Sounds like rjace52 needs to move to a new city. I do not know your situation or what keeps you in a place like the one your living in but thats not living, that's hell!! Good luck!

Is he really dead? Is everyone really sure of that?

… and so I see humor in the posts.

First off let me say I respect anyone that would swim with sharks, walk with grizzlies, sky-dive, or hell even put a single bullet in a siz shooter spin the cylinder, place it to your head and pull the trigger. Why? Simple it takes guts to do any of the above, but it does not mean you are an “expert” if you live, no matter how many times you do it. Putting yourself in harms way and getting killed does not make you a dead hero, no matter how you do it. However, I have to respect those who are stupid enough, cocky enough, or just plain mentally damaged enough to do it. Do not make the mistake of calling people like this brave or heroic, and never put them up on high with statements that they are more enlightened or see the world in a far better light. Fact is anyone can do it; the only thing that stops most of us is a respect for life, fear of god and plain old commonsense.

One might argue that Timothy went to the wonderful woods because he could not hack it in the real world, which is in fact much harder then playing with the “Party Animals”. That said I envy him because he did make that break, which may in fact be just as hard.
In reading all these posts I notice several things. Mostly that everyone things they have the only view that matters. That’s moronic!

In the posts I see hatful people, weak people, one person has a penis fetish, idealistic dorks, extremists, and realists.
Thank the liberals for the weak legal system that makes it possible for living in the city to be far more dangerous than living with the bears. You are most likely a moron if you think we can have a world with out war, sin, hate and other evils. So too are you an idiot to think that being passive about anything will suddenly cause the world to erupt in gooey peaceful stuff. PEOPLE GROW UP!

We live in a blameless society; it’s not your fault when your kids going bad. It’s not your fault if you can’t cope with life, it’s ADD, or Bi-Polar disorder, or some depression. It’s not your fault if you can’t get a job, even though there are hundreds of them out there. No, no, no it’s all something someone else did or some social break down. So lets all blame society for Timothy’s death, it cannot be the bears they were just doing what bears do. It cannot be his own fault he was just LIVING life. Oh wait! Better yet lets blame the government, which seems to be the flavor of the times… AGAIN PEOPLE GROW UP!

So now unless you are cheering my rant, you are likely an idealistic moron with some sick, warped thought that being a pacifistic weakling will right the wrongs of the world and we will one day all live in peace. RIGHT!
Timothy got hit by a Gump-izm – “stupid is as stupid does”. No need to be sad, he died doing what he wanted. This is no different that jumping from a plane or driving a racecar. But! Do not call a thrill seeking moron an “expert” or “brave”! Call it like it is, some brainless ass without the ability to think ahead endangered other people, and bears by playing with wild bears. He was a thrill seeking man who found his fifteen minutes of fame and a small cash cow by flirting with suicide.

To end – “Sometimes you get the Bear, sometimes the Bear gets you!”…

To the poster who can see no difference between Treadwell and 'the crocodile guy from down under' I would like to point out that Steve Irwin has spent his entire life (literally) with these animals. He is probably the leading authority in the world when it comes to interacting with these animals. He is under no illusions about being able to develop any sort of relationship with these animals, you can't. He can get close simply because he has observed them for 40 years and can make an eduacated guess about their likely reaction.

There is a big difference between this guy and some bi-polar recovering drug addict who has decided that he is on the same wavelength as a 1000 pound predator

I just watched a documentary on Timothy on discovery channel. The guy was a total flake, he had mental problems that obviously went all the way back to his childhood and if any of the flakes who support him so much really cared they should have seen that and helped him get the help he needed. Oh and one last thing, the part of the documentary where he talks about how he sometimes wished he was gay, uh huh.... ok i know he had a girlfriend(s) but come on! that guy was obviously gay, or bi, and if he wasn't he was sure as hell suppressing it (and doing a bad job of it).

We all have our time here.We all have our passions.We all die.......if you die driving your car will i call you a fool for tempting fate in such a dangerous machine?If you die at a doctors hands will i call you a fool for trusting doctors?if you die doing something you love will i call you a fool?NO i will only hope when my death comes i'm fufilled.David found his fufillment..don't be jealous.Sure you can can arm chair his life and times......because you can only imagine what he has done!

Everyone,

For all of you who posted things saying your glad, and he deserved it. FUCK YOU!!! You all are just jealous that he did something you couldn't. And to be glad that a life was ended, you will surely burn in hell. If I ever met any of you, I would punch you square in the face, and beat the shit out of you until you cried for mercy, Fuck you all, you pathetic little motherfuckers.

I'm with this guy ^. If you guys aren't simpathetic to him, then you all are heartless. And his wife being flaky, she had experience in the wilderness, she knew damn well what she was doing. It's not his fault that women cannot run fast, or hide in a tree.
And I'd like to meet some of you in person so I could hit you as well, you ignorant fools. He found something he loved and it even showed him petting the bears. Like who the fuck are you to judge him because of what he did. You all are really jealous, that he got closer to bears than anyone else in the world. So stop with your stupid ass opinions that he deserved it.

And if you give me your address, you will be punished.

I'm a bear man too. I like to touch the bears in their no no special spot and some times they get a little mad. Mr. Happy hands only want to be friends.

I'm here after watching the docu-drama on TV. I agree with the other people who have actually seen the footage before commenting here. The director had hundreds of hours of raw footage and put together the most revealing bits he could to bring this compelling and honest story to us. It is obvious to anyone that Timothy actually believed he was doing something honorable. It was also obvious he was very self-absorbed and living in his own world. Man cannot honestly protest man messing with nature - while messing with nature to do so. He can no more claim to be doing good then to claim to be God. It is not man's place. You cannot study something without in some way disturbing/exposing the subject to harm... You cannot have relistic expectations of something going againts it's nature.

Their death is a tragedy.

This story reminds me of the one about the woman who was viciously gored by a bull while filming her documentary about the awful treatment of bulls by the people in Portugal.

Man should heed the animals in keeping to his nature...

well, I can see everyone on here has an opinion one way or another.

I never met Timothy or Amy but just wanted to say this story brings two thoughts to my mind...

first- It pained me to watch the film as i saw more of Tim than the bears he so adored. That seems such a shame their deaths caused the deaths of two wild animals who were at most doing only what came naturally. It is an awful shame not more was said about Amy. I would love to know her thoughts on what they were (misguided at best, but well intentioned no doubt)tying to achive. I think both would probably be shamed and furious the bears were shot.

second- as misguided as i believe they were, i have to respect them both to staunchly go into the wilderness and TRY!!! If only more of our society had the ability to follow their dreams and Try to do the right thing, we'd all be better off. Even if how they did it was wrong, my hat's off to anyone who follows their dream- better to die saying you tried than to die wishing you would have. everyone dies eventually.

those are my two cents. they didn't go about things the "right" way, but at least Timothy followed his dream. I'd like to thik at least Amy knew what she was getting into--- or at least haven't you ever been in love?

Ive lived in Alaska for 20 years and Ive never heard
ANYBODY talk about doing the stupid s___ that he did! The bottom line is bears arent cute there not cuddly and you dont go into the wilderness and try to tame wild bears! Like he said you will die! And
ha ha he did.

This poor guy was obviously bipolar and this was a tragic story - I have met western people like this back home in Africa who want to commune with nature and think that the natives who warn them about the dangers are bumpkins - why is it that so few Alaskan natives are attacked by bears?
If you have no fear of death - go looking for it alone - don't take a friend along - the poor girl should not have been there.
Tragic, romantic , foolish.

http://www.yellowstone-bearman.com/Tim_Treadwell.html

I just saw "Grizzly Man" and after seeing it all I can say is that Treadwell was an idiot.
He foolishly risked his life so I don't see his loss as being tragic; he did it to himself in a way.
Too bad he had to have his female companion there.
We learn about his past drug and alchohol problems, perhaps he had some sort of brain damage?
He may have been an undiagnosed bipolar and a he probably had a lot of difficulty dealing with his true sexual preferences.
Overall, a truly mixed up individual and certainly no "researcher".

It is simply tragic that some amateur is allowed to parade around with protected animals. Knowing the extremely high likelyhood of attack, and the result of such an attack. Whatever the foundation that supports him should be sued for the death of the bears, the bullets, and any and all costs incured. It is suicide/entrapment/manslaughter/bearslaughter. He was right that bears need protection, especially from irresponsible SoCal liberals.

A few comments on the film "Grizzly Man"
His constantlly telling the bears, foxes, bumblebees, etc., " I love you" was really off-putting after a while.
He would talk to the bears in the same way and with the same tone as you see the adult characters in kids tv shows talk to puppets.
But these bears weren't puppets, and that fact really ended up biting him in the ass.
Another disturbing part of the film was when ole Tim almost had an orgasm in his shear amazement at handling fresh bear shit.
His "guarding" the bears from basically imaginary poachers and his paranoia of other visitors to the area show his unbalanced mental state. His maniacal vulgar outbursts against the park service only make his looniness more apparent.
Although he comes off as being a soft spoken homosexual, I believe he had much suppressed inner rage.
He infact was likely living out there due to his inability to come to terms with himself and the outside world.
The bears were of secondary importance, in my opinion.
The film itself wasn't bad, but it's tough to hold the audiences interest when the main character, Timothy, is such an unsympathetic person.

Hey

1. To those of you who argue that Treadwell shouldn't be judged by 'desk jockies' or folks wielding a keyboard and an opinion:

a) Everyone who participates in this forum is guilty of passing judgment - be they in support of Treadwell or in opposition. The Pro-Treadwell-ians who pass judgment on the Anti-Treadwell-ians are guilty of exactly what they accuse their opponents of: passing judgment. That's hypocritical.
b) Treadwell instigated is own celebrity, and spent much of his energy encouraging his fame, through film-making, authoring books, doing interviews, etcetera. When someone chooses to pursue public recognition, they offer themselves up to the public for judgment. Public scrutiny is a condition of fame, and Treadwell chose - even chased - fame.
c) There is no 'niceness' law around human conduct - indeed, every person has the right to judge others. That's the nature of human society.

2. To those who argue that Treadwell died doing what he loved:

a) does the audiotape of him screaming and asking for his girlfried to hit the bear with a frying pan sound like he's dying doing what he loves?
b) there is clear evidence presented in the documentary Grizzly Man that supports the contention that Treadwell had a psychological disorder of some kind. Is a mentally unstable person capable of making a sound choice regarding doing what they love, especially if it involves extreme danger?
c) if someone loves drugs, does that mean that if they die of a drug overdose, their death is acceptable?
d) is Treadwell's personal satisfaction in 'doing what he loved' more important than the fate of the bears whom he habituated and therefore endangered?
e) could Treadwell have died 'doing what he loved' if he knew that as a result of his death, 2 bears were killed, his life scrutinized, and his reputation muddied?

***********************************************

I think it's fairly clear from the tally of arguments presented in this forum that those who support Treadwell's actions do so because of their personal relationship to him, and those who are critical of Treadwell's actions are instead making their arguments on the basis of reason and rationality.

It's clear which method has more merit.

I never even new the man existed untill I saw him on the discovery channel last night. No matter what anyone says, he lived the life he wanted for himself, if it was right or wrong is not for us to say as it did not directly affect us, but alot of people here like to name call and judge other people. It's not like he didn't know he might be killed at any moment, he knew the risks and accepted them. I am surprised he lasted as long as he did doing what he was doing. Wild bears are wild bears, there is no getting away from that fact. I did have trouble sleeping last night after watching the documentary and it wasn't the fact that they were killed though that is truly a sad thing. It was the fact that Amy stayed to try to fight off the bear, Tim told her to run so you have to think she had the chance to do so. She chose to stay by Tim and fight till her last dying breath. That is what moved me the most, the power of their love. I suppose I will be mocked by all the heartless idiots who have chosen to post comments here, so come-on, give me your best shot so you can prove to all the GOOD people here how your life really sucks and you have no soul.

LMAO !! Just saw this last night on Discovery. Oh, it was like Andy Dick out in the wilderness with the Grizzly's, LOL!! "OH, This is chocolate, he is a good bear, he won't eat me", RFLMAO!!
This guy was a pure nutcase and I applaud Werner Herzog (Director) for bringing this fool to the world for WANTING to be eaten by a bear and filming it.
I just WISH he would of gotten the footage of himself being eaten like a taco on film. I would like to know what part of the human flesh the bears prefer. Do they start with the head? Do they swipe their paws into the belly and rip out the inards? Or do they rip the flesh from head to toe like eating a big Salmon?
I feel his legacy wasn't really fulfilled because of it.
Too many unanswered questions.
That's why we need to hear the Audio, maybe the age old questions can be answered. "He has my head, OH, my balls are in his paws, etc.."
I can't wait for the next nutjob who wants to do outdo him.

Some people must have not have been paying attention, not once did I hear them say that Tim told her to hit the bear with the pan. It was something that she just did.

I just saw "Grizzly Man" for the first time, and Timothy Treadwell was obviously deranged. I predicted a long time ago a bear would eventually kill him. Too bad about the poor misguided woman he dragged along with him. Treadwell was a total hypocrite who claimed to hate civilization and wanted to "protect" bears. This didn't stop him from using the American media to capitalize on his crazy self-glorifying escapades by appearing on television and writing books, and becoming a so-called bear "technical advisor" for Disney. He used the bears to become famous, which is exactly what he wanted. Now Hollywood is going to make the inevitable movie about him, and make him even more famous. I have encountered grizzlies myself in the Canadian wilderness, and know people who have been mauled and survived. Wild bears are extremely beautiful animals who should be left alone in their natural habitat. I find it offensive and ridiculous to witness Treadwell giving them silly names and talking to them like children. If people really want to know how dangerous and unpredictable bears can be, then maybe they should have included the horrifying audio tape of Treadwell and the woman being killed. True respect for these magnificent animals means observing them from a distance, and leaving them alone. Let's hope we never see another Treadwell again. One thing about Treadwell which I liked: he did get some great bear footage. He could have concentrated on making great documentaries about bears, but instead used the bears to glorify himself.

I watched about 5 minutes of this and found myself rooting heavily for the bears. I'm pretty sure they finally killed him to shut his dumb ass up. I really wanted to see him get eaten but couldn't stand to watch any more than 5 minutes of this abortion.

I really enjoy the film and have an idea that Timothy Treadwell would have been much happier up on Brokeback Mountain.:)

Dave Mooney wrote: "No matter what anyone says, he lived the life he wanted for himself"

First of all, judging from Treadwell's eco-warrier self-image as a bear 'lifeguard,' he thought he lived that life for the sake of protecting bears, not for his own personal gain. In fact, he probably would have said protecting the bears was his life's work and purpose on the planet.

That's where he falls horribly short of his own goals and that's why it's wrong to say "he lived the life he wanted."

His death and the death of Amie were the first fatal bear attacks in that particular park. Their deaths encourage the very idea that Treadwell spent 13 summers trying to disprove: that bears are really just 'party animals,' and aren't dangerous. His death contradicts what he spent 13 summers trying to show; namely, that bears are harmless. The fatal bear attack undid any progress he made in changing negative attitudes toward bears.

Based on Treadwell's own goals and principles, he failed. It's fair to judge someone by their own standards and goals.

*************************************************

Dave Mooney wrote: "if it was right or wrong is not for us to say as it did not directly affect us"

For one, it's up to anyone to weigh in with their opinion on what's right or wrong - that's called freedom of speech, and you exercise it - along with every other poster here - by participating in this forum. Is it okay for you to have freedom of speech, but not okay for those who disagree with you to have the same right?

Secondly, Treadwell's actions do affect us. Bears becoming habituated to human beings and dying as a result of human ignorance changes the biological and societal composition of the world you and I live in. It affects how bears are perceived, whether they are protected or whether they are killed off due to human ignorance. The fate of the bears affects the world we live in and thus, it affects us.

If this story didn't affect us at all, there wouldn't be so many people documenting it, recording it, and weighing in with their opinions on it. Indeed, Treadwell's story affects every single person who reads about it, sees the films, or discusses it in a forum.

I love Timothy Treadwell.I love the way he lived as one with the bears, and became a bear.How he gave them cute names and petted them and slept in their dens and how he a 190 pound man would protect a 1000 pound carnivour from danger with just a camera.Because of him i will follow my dream.I love rattlesnakes.I want to go to the mountains and live with them in their den. I want to give them cute names like Rattles,strikey,wiggles,diamond patch,cutey fang and coily face.I want to caress and nurture these reptiles.I will raise and feed them mice and let them and their young share my sleeping bag and protect them from harm ( tears flowing)Let people know what a bad rap a rattlesnake has gotten. I love to feel the flick of a forked tongue on my cheek and one day have this creature lie in my lap and hand feed him and stroke his skin and let him know WE ARE ALL ONE IN THIS UNIVERSE.I will keep audio and video of my bestseller to be ( Rattlesnake man ,The biography of the man who lived with snakes)I am currentley looking at the appalachin mountains or the rocky mountains. I am so excited i found my place in this wonderful gentle meditative world.

i really want to see a transcription of that audio. does anyone have a link?

Some of your people...So if your a pilot for 13 years and your plane goes down and everybody dies does that make you and idiot because you fly airplanes, no it doesn't shit happens. What everyone here forgets is this man died doing what he loved, no man should be made a mockery of because of his passions. And Aimee is a big girl 37 years old last time I cheacked shes responsiable for herself. Most of you are just imature and don't value life, which is your own choice but you sound stupid saying "he got what he deserved" hello fucking people die in cars every day more so then are eaten by bears so come on you still ride in a car knowing the dangers. This guy knew the dangers, doesn't make him anyless of a person. I suppose all the American Astronauts got what they deserved to. All of you with know compassion for life eat a dick faggots.

Gee Mike ,Can i sell you some ocean front property in Arizonia.Would i ride in a car from Jersey to california or would i handfeed a 1200 lb grizzly a salmon.I would have to think hard on that one. I do value life man, Thats why im at home drinking rum and crashing with my girlfrined and not teasing a grizzly.lol

Mike dont let them get to you. I can totally relate to you and believe everything you say and you and me are alot alike.Oh No, Here they come ,They know i am out of my strait jacket and am on institution computer.Not more medication awwwwgg.

i thought he was one of the bravest men i have ever saw in the film i saw him kiss a bear man not well is he brave or just crazy i think you have to be a little of bolth to do what timothy
as creepy as it sounds i would like to hear the audio just to draw my own opinion of what happen
on that terrible night you know its a bad thing to die and even worse to get eaten alive but at least he died doing what he love the most in the world and not many i bet can say that so god bless them bolth and i hope they rest in peace
........tony

Hey Garth,

Come on man you know and i know he wasn't teasing those creatures be a little more creative then that come on Garth. Wheres your since of adventure, thats right you drink rum that makes you a much smarter man then me, good for you that you drink it at home, im sure it took a couple dui's before you got the hang of it but some people are on a different learning curve then the rest. But i get what your saying, belittle a man for dying doing what he loved, not you. So Drink up Garth you taught me that its only worth dying for somthing that will kill you in 30 years (RUM) promise i won't call ya out for it.

arnold,

Grow some balls fuckbag. You'll die begging for your Mom, at least that man had the balls to do what he did. Easy to critize people when you dont know your ass from that little imaginary thing YOU call a dick.

http://www.yellowstone-bearman.com/Tim_Treadwell.html

You really need to read this - it will clear up questions left over from the "Grizly Man" documentary - including what was really heard on the audio.

There in are quotes from the people actually involved - who saw the aftermath and listened to the audio.

It is truly sad, about all of the deaths (human and bear lives were needlessly lost).

You will read that there had not been a bear attach against a human in over 85 years before that tragedy.

Timothy, in my opinion, was a person looking for a way to fit into this crazy world - and he found that by through the acceptance and encouragement of his dangerous actions that her was lavished with back then. This kind of thing happens all the times...people love to live their thrill seeking vicariously through others. Each person who funded, encouraged, supported or otherwise accepted this is part of the problem. I wish that was something uncommon - but it is not. The rest of us are their victims. It is good to see all of this dialogue so perhaps the deaths were not in vain and we might all take away some real lessons...

I found the answers I needed to all my questions at the link provided, so instead of speculating - try the link and read it all.

Mike your commentary does not make any sense.Thats why you are getting these responses.This topic is way to complex for you and the foul language you use is due to low self esteem and due to being obviously illiterate.We look forward to your next post of obscene language immensely so we can laugh at how stupidity is an inherited gene.Look forward to seeing you on the Darwin awards.

glad you enjoyed.

I really do get so sick of people like (Mike),that cannot type two words without profanity.

finally humbled, how'd you know about my self esteem problems, you really are good you know i bet someones looking for a guy like you with such a pretty mouth only he cares as much as i do about what comes out of it, just what goes in. Cum guzzler. (thats not to foul is it)

here ya go thats 4 words with out profanity, fuckface.

When I first saw "Grizzly Man", in the first 20 minutes I was tearing my hair out in frustration. Having spent years in grizzly country in Montana, I watched a man break every rule when dealing with them. I couldn't believe he would be so arrogant and lack the humility to treat these animals with the awesome respect they deserve.

As the movie progressed and Treadwell continued to speak, I then thought that maybe he does get it. Oh, wait? He does fear and respect them. They are not to be acclimated to humans because this can only hurt them in the end. He knows he has to play by their rules.

Next scene.. no wait? He's actually touching one on the nose? He jumped into the water with an adult? He doesn't get it?! What is this guy's problem?

At the end of this movie and after reading these posts, I've come to this conclusion. To try and defend or crucify this guy with his own statements or actions is futile. This man was manic in mood and thought, who needed his "highs and his lows" as he stated. He made up accents and made up last names and made up a life as he went along. He went out in the wilderness with intentions that clashed and broke against each other. He himself didn't know where he fit in the grizzly world nor in the larger world.

Was he a hero or a fake? Should he be admired or mocked? To try and make sense out of senselessness is futile. His death and the subsequent death of the bears that killed him are the ultimate proof of that.

won't argue with that.

Its ok Mike was my little bitch in the slammer.

Mike's right most of you are assholes, all he said is theres risk in everything anyone does. and to show a little compassion not say whata idiot, yada, yada, yada.

we had sometimes didn't we....

The guy bent down and put his hand in fresh bear shit and this was what he did ON camera -- imagine when the camera wasn't rolling. . .

This fact alone answers any and all questions the world has about little timmy "I shoulda been Woody!" treadwell.

May he rest in pieces.

After watching this ridiculous documentary. The only saving grace is that he suffered a slow, limb-ripping, guts gushing, pulled along a thorny path, knowing he was being eaten S-L-O-W-L-Y.
And then Amie squeeeling like a pig. I bet her waiting for that bear to come back, she busted a few bowel movements.
I wondered if they thought those bears were "party animals" now? LMAO!!!

This is the kind of thing that's bound to polarize people. On the one hand, people like me who shake their heads and think "is this not obvious to anyone with a brain?", and those who are still stuck in Disney-think and are horrifed.

Well, when you go out of your way to make yoruself a food source for a gigantic predator, you ARE really asking for it, aren't you? Those of you who are all indignant over the Darwinists, please check out the comments by the Katmai rangers - the REAL experts - themselves, who said things like "it wasn't a matter of if, but when"; "we told Timothy if bears had to die because of him we'd never forgive him"...they went out of their way to prevent a stupid Malibu hippie from dying, even threatening him with permanent expulsikon from the park.

But he did what he felt he had to do, right down to naming the creatures, like the senile fools who roam city parks naming and feeding wild raccoons and skunks where I live. Thought he was Dian Fossey Of The Grizzlies. But the conceit of thinking you understand any wild animal, and imagining it empathizes with you, carries the ultimate punishment a conceit CAN carry.

Don't you think that it was rather arrogant of him to think that a friggin' grizzly bear needed him to protect them?! That guy was an idiot and got what he deserved. He didn't die like a bear, he died like the dumb little weak bunny that he was.

Billy my man, arrogance like that wil get you on Letterman, let's not forget.

I am kind of going with the bipolar disorder theory too. I saw the film, and the way he babbled on about "You'd get killed, but these bears know me, this is my work, this is what I do, blah blah blah...". It's pretty sad all right - sad, as someone said, that his "friends" didn't get him the help he obviously needed instead of egging him on like that dick DiCaprio. Reminds me of a lot of famous dead musicians - burned out and destroyed in their youth because it was COOL to do it...always plenty of "friends" to help them down that road.

One last thought, since I have been a park naturalist and interpreter: I have a different approach - one I recommend to anyone who wants to be among animals. I regard them as aliens. Not "aliens" in the sense of introduced species - aliens as in science-fiction stories. Beings whose only commonality with us is that they require food, water, and oxygen in order to go on living. Beings with "minds" that (and here I shake my head again: "why isn't this obvious to everyone?") do not, and SHOULD not function in the way ours do. Incomprehensible minds; alien minds. Respect them NOT because they are our "brothers", but because they have NOTHING TO DO WITH US.

I feel compelled to make a few comments.
1. Treadwell expected to eventually be killed by bears. He said he hoped that whoever found his remains would bury them and not tell anyone. Clearly the last thing he would have wanted was for the bear who killed him to be killed in return. Treadwell was foolish, misguided and ultilmately surely did more harm than good for his chosen cause.
2. There is simply no comparison between brown bear and black bear behavior. Lyn Rogers is reknowned for his study of black bears, including his prolonged intimate contact even with nursing mothers and their cubs. Black bears pose very little threat to humans, even very foolish humans. This is certainly not true of brown bears.
3. The truly hateful sick posts of those celebrating the deaths of Treadwell and Huguenard are illumninating as to the level of discourse practiced by the Rush Limbaugh dittoheading anti-environmentalists. Treadwell did net harm to his cause, but these irrational despicable hate spewing misanthropic morons more than counteract that negative with the discredit they give to theirs.

One other thing I forgot to note...
It is stated in the film and elsewhere that there were no reported bear poaching incidents in Katmai during the 13 years Treadwell was there, and this is confirmed by the Park Service. Several of you above ridicule his contention that he was preventing poaching.
The summer after he was killed? Six poaching incidents confirmed. This won't impress or break the hearts of the haters who celebrated Treadwell's death and questioned his motives, but it does at the very least cast some doubt on the skepticism that he was accomplishing anything other than self-aggradisement...

i want all those who talk smack that at least this guy had the balls to go out and do what he wanted to do with his life and didnt settle down like you fools who pass judgement as if you were god

How many people just posted thers on Feb. 4?

This is to dave who was like one of the first people to post today YOU NEED TO SHUT THE FUC* UP a$$ hole

Sorry for posting so much

Just saw the 'grizzly man' on discovery tonite. Main thing I find disturbing is these so called friends and well wishers showing off their emotion and concern for him. We dont need a PHD in zoology to figure out that 'animals' are called so since they aint have no notion of civilisation. In the end they are oppurtunistic, unpredictable predators. Why didnt his so called 'friends' that appear on TV not give him good advice to stay away from clear and present danger? Trying to OWN bears in not a way to prevent poaching or protect them. Lets be good friends and well wishers and try to advice our loved ones from committing such mistakes. Treadwell is dead, long live the Bear!

In light of the rising frequency of human/grizzly bear conflicts, the Alaska Department of Fishing and Gaming is advising hikers, hunters, and fishermen to take extra precautions and keep alert of bears while in the field. The department has posted the following notice:

We advise that outdoorsmen wear noisy little bells on their clothing so as not to startle any bears.

We also advise outdoorsmen to carry pepper spray with them in case of an encounter with a bear.

It is also a good idea to watch out for fresh signs of bear activity.
Outdoors men should recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear feces:

Black bear feces is smaller and contains lots of berries and squirrel fur.

Grizzly bear feces has little bells in it and smells like pepper.

And in Tim's case a beeny hat.

Right on ! Eazy, Tanner Mayhall types are one of those so called 'friends' who commend his dead friend treadwell by saying that "he had the balls to go...". I guess pple with brains equal to size of their balls will do such a thing. in this case both brain and balls ended in the mouth of an hungry bear. I agree, lets try to save our 'friends' from doing such things.

If Tim was in the Mafia he wouldhave been called Tim "The Dumbass" Treadwell!

Hello my name is Valerie... I just saw Grizzley Man tonight! I have so many mixed feelings about it! I think if I was there I would have used some protection... yes I think he had good intentions within his heart!

He made human mistakes as we all do! I think his greed for fame got a little bit away w. him! I think he wanted too be a super star! But I think he really did care about the animals too!

Although it is kindof hard for me too believe that by desenetizing them he could so think he was helping them! Or not have any doubts at all in that!

Well I think he thought there was a greater cause within this! & I think he was a true animal luver
If he made errors or not! I think it is sick too say you are glad he got ate by a bear!

I'm sure he never intended for any harm too happen too his girlfriend! He told her too run too try & save her life! Don't go casting your stones unless you urself are completley without sin~

I mean honestly ask urselfs ... Do u think when this life is over for u & u get too the afterlife
You will have been without some error's or things you would have liked too do differently~ Valerie

i just saw "grizzly man". I did find it truly fascinating that he could get that close to the bears and foxes without getting hurt.Maybe he did have something special.But i think he did more harm then good for the animals.It was like he was trying to play god. That fucking gay atheist was making fun of god in the movie , calling him"jesus boy"and shit. Maybe thats why he got eaten by the bear,for making fun of GOD.DON'T FUCK WITH THE BIG MAN!!!!!!! Other then that R.I.P. You died doing what you loved, i'm sure people would love to go doing what they loved.

I read an article in Readers Digest a few years ago about Treadwell and his "crusade" and thought at the time, "He's gonna die up there". Unlike others, I don't think he deserved what he got, but I do think he asked for it.

BTW - I still he was a dumbass of major proportions and his girl friend was a co-dependant idiot.

I just saw Grizzly Man and have been reading all over the internet so much about Treadwell. I thought the film would be about insight into bears in their environment yet its all about Treadwell. Treadwell was all about Treadwell and I sense some connection between his "love of bears" and his self love. He kept saying he was "protecting" the bears but any sane person can see he was doing more harm to them. Again, the film demonstrates his state of mind and its gives good insight into the perversions of man's mind or "self" and how one's ego can foster such.

Kaplan- You disgust me by shamelessly promoting your crappy amauter movie at the expense of aviolant deaths. Your movie is crap and so are you

Steve - exactly. Why should bears die because of someone who by any standard of any society in the history of the world was nothing more than a god-damned fool? Someone who was so self-absorbed, so stuffed with self-importance, that they believed that to merely say "I am a brother to these bears" made it so? Pfffft!!!

It's Andy Dick in the Wild GOne Wild, LMAO!!!

What a great joke this is. Only we don't get to to see this dumass get his ass chewed. It is their dumass fault. I want to see blood, I want to see his head split Open like a grapefruit. I want to see his brains splatter all over the trees. I felt like it wasn't worth it. I want to see tne bear chew on him like ALPO dog food. I want it all, and so does each of us...

What kills me is the "so called friends". They say "Oh, I dont think he was suicidal"....

Hello??? How about sitting your fat asses within 15 feet of these Grizzlies.

Yes, they thought he was crazy as a loon,, But they ALL wanted to profit in some SICK WAY, which actually makes them as SICK as he was...SAD FUKS>

I remembered Tim Treadwell from yrs. back but I only found out about his death yesterday. I saw the Discovery Channel's showing of the "Grizzly Man" Documentary. At first I saw the commercials and I said "hey I remember him, that's the bear guy". then I read the description of the show and my heart fell when learning that he died, but I had no idea how horribly he died.
I cried harder than I've ever cried. For Tim and for Amie. I know he was a kind man who loved animals and wanted them protected and understood...but I also suspect that he MAY have had some normal mental health issues (but he's not a "loon" like many ppl say)
...From watchin