A true story...up to a point

Timothy Treadwell was a self-proclaimed eco-warrior who somehow managed to socialize with wild brown bears in Alaska for thirteen years in a row. He claimed to defend the bears from poachers and other human threats. In 2003, Treadwell's stunning success in bear country ended in tragedy as he and his girlfriend Amie Huguenard were killed and eaten by the bears they loved.

"Among Grizzlies", originally published in 1997, tells Timothy Treadwell's story in his own words. Or almost his own, since the book credits Jewel Palovak as co-author. The book was re-issued in 2005. It's somewhat mistitled, since the bears described are known as "brown bears" in Alaska, while "grizzly" refers to a somewhat different population in the Alaskan inland. But yes, both the brown bears and the grizzly bears belong to the same species, Ursus arctos.

Had I not known about Treadwell before reading "Among Grizzlies", I would have assumed that the book is a monumental hoax. The story is just too good to be true (and too weird). Treadwell starts out as a street punk in California, high on drugs and alcohol, low on money and self-esteem. After an overdose of heroine, he gets a revelation of sorts and eventually travells to a remote area of Alaska, where he learns to socialize and bond with wild bears. He does so by gently singing songs to the beasts and tell them how much he loves them. Every now and then, Treadwell is attacked by bears, but somehow manages to survive, sometimes by counter-charging!

Our brave explorer even enters bear tunnels in the dense brushes and eventually discovers an empty den, where he quite simply takes a nap. At another time, he falls asleep in a bear bed, surrounded by the animals. All this time, Treadwell is followed by a mischevious fox which he names Timmy after himself. The fox in effect becomes Treadwell's pet dog. Even more remarkable are his bad outdoor habits: Treadwell hardly knows how to erect a tent, and seems to have survived on a diet of Coke, peanut butter sandwiches and dried fruit. Occasionally, he listens to a radio that picks up traffic news from southern California!

As I said, the whole thing sounds like a transparent hoax. But no, Treadwell is telling the truth. At least up to a point. Somehow, he managed to get the bears to tolerate his presence. How is anybody's guess. "Among Grizzlies" is both interestig, exciting and absurd.

Despite Treadwell's love summer antics, singing songs to the big furry creatures and giving them names like Booble and Mr. Chocolate, he was at bottom a reckless thrill-seeker, constantly entering more and more dangerous territories (and encountering more and more dangerous bears). Treadwell had an even darker side, covered up in this book but mentioned in critical works by Nick Jans and Michael Lapinski. It turns out that the "remote area of Alaska" where Treadwell lived, is actually the Katmai National Park, visited every year by thousands of eco-tourists. There is virtually no poaching in the park. In desperation, Treadwell once forged evidence for poaching, accusing a local bear guide of being an illegal hunter. "Among Grizzlies" contain a story about how Treadwell stopped a heavily armed group of poachers from killing his beloved bears, but critics tend to think he made it up. Treadwell also habitually lied to his sponsors and allies about what he was up to in Katmai. I get the impression of a troubled young man who meant well but somehow couldn't overcome the murkier side of his passion.

It's difficult not to sympathize with Treadwell and his brown companions when reading this book. To get a more balanced view, the reader should also obtain "The Grizzly Maze" by Nick Jans and "Death in the Grizzly Maze" by Mike Lapinski. There is also a documentary about Treadwell, Werner Herzog's "Grizzly Man", which contains some of Treadwell's remarkable footage of bears and foxes.

Jans points out in his book that Treadwell's ability to mingle with bears, while perhaps admirable, might not be the best way to save them. For that, sustained efforts to enlarge national parks and preserve wilderness areas is more important. The bears should be left alone. In principle, Jans is right. In practice, he is unfortunately wrong - Treadwell may have been an reckless adventurer and something of a trickster, but he was probably right that the public couldn't care less about anonymous, dangerous beasts in some remote corner of the globe. (Witness the glee of the anti-conservationists when Treadwell and Huguenard were killed by the bears!) Perhaps a thrilling adventure story featuring bears with personal names, bears who ultimately turn out to be more lovable than dangerous, might do the trick? The same angle is also visible in the movie "Sharkwater", where Rob Stewart tries to paint sharks as harmless to humans. Apparently, people just don't care about 90% of the sharks having been exterminated for no good reason, unless they think sharks are like dolphins! And what about conservationists in Africa, who want to change the name of the African Wild Dog to Painted Wolf, since that sounds more exciting to a Western audience? Nobody wants to save a bunch of wild dogs. Painted wolves, maybe.

Perhaps Treadwell's adventures and ultimate demise in the Grizzly Maze is a product of our own derenged society.