Crazy Man living with Grizzlies

When in the fields and mountains and streams of Alaska, Timothy Treadwell lived simply. Treadwell spent many summers in Alaska living with, studying and “protecting” the wild bears of the land. I believe his work was rich in the study of bears in their natural habitat, how they function daily and the structure of their species. It is evident that he did live among them for long periods of time. I do not believe he protected them. From whom was he trying to protect these bears? Poachers? Hunters? The Park Rangers? There were only a few instances that the movie showed intruders on the land interacting with the bears. In fact, according to a bear biologist on Kodiak island, Alaska, the numbers of bears poached are so low that it is hardly an issue to worry about anymore. Yes, people in Alaska bear hunt. It compromises a large portion of their economy. This is sad but no matter how long Treadwell lived in the wild he never would have been able to end the hunt. It is a lifestyle of the natives, not to say it is right or wrong but it is their lifestyle. If anything, it seems as though Treadwell was harming the bears more than he was protecting. By exposing the bears to human contact and breaking the rules of the park and government he revealed a sense of confidence and reliability in the bears of humans. On the same token, because he was able to pet a few bears Treadwell gained a confidence that all bears were friendly, harmless creatures in an immense furry body. He was lucky to have lived as long as he did among massive, wild creatures. It is surprising that the bears did not strike before they did.

After watching the movie for the first time in class today I have come up with the conclusion that Timothy Treadwell was simply crazy! I believe he loved his work and took pride in educating children free of cost, but he was nuts to think that he could cross the barriers of extreme wild life behavior and human behavior as we are now. Although we as humans have separated ourselves from nature so much we still are animals. In the scheme of things we are so domesticated that we are helpless in the wild without weapons, as the story and demise of Timothy Treadwell proves. The most powerful message I took away from the film was the idea of living simply. What does this mean to you? What were your thoughts on the video and what was your take-away message?