Alaska Bear Attack Audio Tape

GutshotApe · 10-09-2003, 06:11 AM

Today's Eugene R-G has an AP story about the couple killed the other day in Alaska by bears. 46 yr-old Timothly Treadwell spent the past 10 summers among the grizzly bears videotaping them...he maintained the bears are harmless.

He and companion Amie Huguenard, 37, were attacked at their campsite in Katmai NP on the Alaska Peninsula...and the video camera, with lens cap on, was activated and made a 6 minute recording. Alaska state police said the tape begins with sounds of Treadwell being mauled and ends (when the tape ran out) with him still being mauled.

"Its pretty disturbing. :shocked: I keep hearing it in my mind" said Alaska state police trooper Chris Hill.

An air taxi pilot who arrived to pick up the couple reported seing a brown bear apparently sitting on top of human remains in the camp.

Troopers shot a large bear at the campsite after it charged them from dense brush and shot another that was stalking them.

--------------------------------------------

Camping trip to Alaska, anyone? Don't worry, the bears are harmless.

tag-a-long · 10-09-2003, 06:23 AM

Just another reason to never go into the field without a weapon. I feel for their families.

pdxkevin · 10-09-2003, 06:30 AM

I read where he kept bragging about touching wild bears out in the field. I'm getting the idea that he lost a healthy respect for these incredibly fast and strong animals.

blackdog · 10-09-2003, 06:40 AM

tag-a-long - these people were inside Katmai National Park where it is illegal to carry any firearms.

I feel bad for these people's families but it just seems if you keep pushing the envelope with wild animals, it's eventually going to go wrong, regardless of what animal it is. With brown bears, the consequences are obviously much greater.

The worst part of this whole deal is that these two idiots got two bears killed for no real reason. If they wouldn't have been there, invading the bear's natural state, they wouldn't have been killed, and the Alaskan troopers wouldn't have killed either of the two bears during the ensuing cleanup.

deschutes2 · 10-09-2003, 08:06 AM

The discovery channel did a story about that guy a couple of years ago. He lived among the brown bears every summer and then talked to school children about them during the winter. What annoyed me about it was how he was habituating the bears to human beings, quite literally approaching them over and over again until they lost their natural fear of him. He then complained about poachers that would come into the area and how he would lose some of "his" bears. I admire his work with children but I think he lullled himself into thinking that the bears believed he was just one of the "guys" so to speak. I've spent a lot of time in Alaska and have a healthy respect for bears, they are amazing to see and to observe......from a distance. Anyways, this is the first I have read about this, sorry for their families loss.

Grantspastor · 10-09-2003, 08:37 AM

Blackdog...I may be wrong about this because it's been quite a few years since I lived in Alaska, but I don't think it's illegal to carry firearms in the Katmai NP...it's just illegal to hunt. As far as I know people have allways had the right to carry firearms and defend themselves against bears. I've had encounters with approximately 80 or so brown bears at close range during my various floats trips...including two in that area. Most bears will just leave you alone..but in two cases we had to deal with aggressive and/or agitated bears. One of them false charged and almost got harvested. I'm glad we didn't have to shoot him, because it's not always easy to kill them. I feel bad about that couple, but after watching his documentary on T.V. my feeling was he was more than pushing the envelope.

nwsteelheader · 10-09-2003, 09:12 AM

This was darwin at work. the bigger, stronger, smarter, better adapting species will prevail.

In this case the humans thought that their dominant intellect would protect them from the stronger (sharper teeth, longer claws, etc...) bears. Unfortunately mother nature/the bears decided to throw in the random "animal decides to do what you didn't think it would" trick and all of that intellectual "i can outsmart the bears talk" went floating down the Katmai river...

sorry to hear about their death, but it was infinately avoidable

Ragnar · 10-09-2003, 09:18 AM

What I have to say may offend some people. For that I appolgize. I do not feel bad for this person however. It is a shame that those bears had to meet an early demise for this person's/people's lack of respect. I say lack of respect because, this guy obviuosly loved bears (in his opinion). I won't deny that, but he forgot or maybe overlooked the fact that he (and whoever he drags out into the alaskan bush ei; his girl friend) is part of the food chain especially in bear country. If he truely loved bears? He would've been more respectful of their space. I probably would've done the same thing that the bear did. Some dude trying to touch me all the time......What do you expect?! Really?! These are bears.... Alaskan Coastal Brown Bears at that. These are not lap dogs that will be your friend or fetch your slippers for you. Let this be a lesson to others who have fancifully ideas about becoming "friends" with wild animals that can kill you with one flick of the meat-hook. I shudder at the thought of people like him who would probably start charging money to take people out and touch their very own bear. Then again..... Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing? That might just be a real boost to the economy..Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I know I'd pay good money to watch that (from a safe distance of course).
I can see it now...........(insert excited announcer voice with extra "echo" sound effect)
Yes folks! Step right this way! Come watch this idiot get mauled and dismembered right before your very eyes! You've seen the handy kitchen gadgets at the county fair! You've seen Gallahger the comedian with his "sledge-o-matic!" Now come see centuries of evolution do what it does best! Kill and eat! OH YEA! Showing only at the Katmai Fairgrounds with Champion Monster Truck Rally starring special guest "Grave Digger!" Yes! The ground's already shakennnnnnnnnnnn............!
Seems as though, as hard as we try to overcome it, Darwinism is still a constant. He was "Naturally Selected." I wonder how he tasted?
Ragnar

Tilla · 10-09-2003, 12:07 PM

Next thing you know they will be dragging Tigers onstage.

buckgtr · 10-09-2003, 05:32 PM

I can see how this could easily have happened, when your around bears a lot it is easy to get a false sense of security, never turn your back on those little bugger's. I guided in and around Katmai National park for 9 years and have fished every creek or river in and around it from the Brooks river to the Moraine, little Ku etc. etc. rivers.
To answer the question on the legality of firearms in the park, "yes" it is illegal to carry and or possess a firearm while in the park. From my point of view, I was responsible for the safety and welfare of clients on a daily basis, I realize we aren't forced to visit and fish these rivers that the bears call home but I was not going to let one of my clients get eaten by a bear. It was my choice to carry the weapon and I was willing to accept the punishment if questioned on it. I am be no means condoneing-(SP)carrying weapons in closed areas but when you are in the middle of knowwhere surrounded by bears you need to protect yourself. For those who will respond with something like "You need to educate yourself on bears actions and behaviors and have the knowledge of how to react accordingly", I reply " Go ahead!, I promise you will eventually get charged no matter what you do and you will find out what total helplessness feels like. I have had so many bear encounters both good and bad I wouldn't know where to start with my stories. I have smacked them in the butt with a flyrod, which I don't recommend. I have almost tripped over them while hiking along brushy streams and rivers and had my fair share of false charges. Although I have drawn my 454 many times there was only one instance where I actually had to use it(NOT in the park) and the bear had previously been wounded, and that was a cluster of crap.
I have been a witness to the strength and raw power these bears many times, the last thing I have to say is always show respect to bears, give them their space and never become complacent while in bear country.

Good Huntin! buckgtr

[ 10-11-2003, 08:44 AM: Message edited by: Rauly ]

Bait Bucket · 10-09-2003, 05:48 PM

As I was told by a very smart man back in Washington, D.C. a few years back, "Stupid people must be punished."

Killertraylor · 10-09-2003, 11:43 PM

Thin the herd... [img]graemlins/stupid.gif[/img]

novice · 10-10-2003, 07:19 PM

Tilla
That was good...... real good
LMAO
[img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img]

Mello-Yello · 10-10-2003, 07:48 PM

I've watched Tim Treadwell's documentary twice now. It was aired again just a couple weeks ago. I remember distinctly saying to myself "if he continues to do this, it's just a matter of time before he encounters the 'wrong' bear". I greatly enjoyed the documentary, and found myself marvelled at how docile MOST of the bears appeared to be, but the reality is...you shouldn't mess with mother nature.

I feel sorrow for the loved one's he left behind, (I would suspect they've been fearing this from the beginning) but can't really say I feel a lot of sadness for him. I truly believe he knew the risk better than any one of us. The risk was calculated, and his calculations were off.

I was most entertained by the little fox that loved to play catch with the tennis ball...

crabbait · 10-12-2003, 06:59 PM

I also saw Tim's video a couple of times. I agree that he was pushing the envelope. it was also obvious that he had a great deal of experience reading bear behavior. I wonder if his companion had the same knowledge and ability to keep a very cool head when faced with a huge bear at very close range. Could the additional person be the catalyst that lead to the attack? I guess we will never know.

I am not surprised that he became a bear statistic. I am surprised that after ten years of summering with the bears he decided to add a second person, changing a combination that had been successful. Hindsight.

crabbait · 10-12-2003, 07:19 PM

Details from an article by Dr. Lynn Rogers:

"Sunday evening, Tim heard a bear outside the tent and went out to see it. This was not unusual because the tent was in a network of bear trails made by one of the densest populations of grizzlies in the world. As he went out, he turned on his sound recorder. For the next three minutes, Tim is heard shouting that the bear is attacking him. Amie is telling him to play dead and then to fight back. Tim, probably being held by the bear, tells her to hit the bear. The sounds ended."

Sounds like he may have surprised the bear when he popped out of the tent.

Two bears were killed at the scene: An adult male of about 1000lbs and an adolescent male. A third bear was discovered partially buried and had been fed on by another bear. The adult male had consumed human remains and clothing.

Mello-Yello · 10-12-2003, 07:27 PM

I had an uncle that was a big-wig with the Nat. Forest Service in ID years ago and was one of the lead people during the Yellowstone fires. He told me that when woman firefighters are menstruating they had to stay off the fireline due specifically to Grizzly Bears and the risk they would pose not only to themselves, but to their co-worker. Perhaps Treadwell was out to prove that myth wrong?

I don't mean this as a joke. My uncle ended up having to go to DC to defend a comment he made to a particularly undesirable woman (sounded like a woman version of an old mountainman)who called B..S.... to the rule. His comment was "In your case ma'm, the bear would probably turn the other way and run".