The strange case of Timothy Treadwell

Timothy Treadwell was a self-proclaimed eco-warrior who somehow managed to socialize with wild bears in the Katmai area of Alaska thirteen seasons in a row. Then, in 2003, Treadwell and his companion Amie Huguenard were suddenly killed and eaten by bears in a particularly dangerous area of Katmai known as Upper Kaflia.

Treadwell's curious and bizarre life, and his tragic end, is the subject of Werner Herzog's award-winning documentary "Grizzly Man". Two books on Treadwell have also been published, Mike Lapinski's "Death in the Grizzly Maze" and Nick Jans' "The Grizzly Maze". The Grizzly Maze was Treadwell's own name for Upper Kaflia, the area where he eventually met his death.

Nick Jans' book "The Grizzly Maze" says less about Treadwell the person as Lapinski's book. On the other hand, it says more about his death and the immediate aftermath. It also contains additional chapters on the real or perceived danger of brown and black bears, and one chapter about Jans himself. Thus, Jans and Lapinski complement each other. Most people prefer Jans, since his style of writing is livelier. He is also somewhat more neutral, since he interviews both opponents and supporters of Treadwell, including an interesting interview with Joel Bennett, who believes that Treadwell's bizarre antics have been grossly exaggerated by the media. Personally, I actually prefer Lapinski's book. It contains more information (and yes, speculation) about Treadwell himself.

People interested in traversing the Treadwell maze should buy both books, and then make up their own minds. Both books are very easy to read. My own opinion on Timothy Treadwell is that he was a con man with a Hollywood complex. But even if he had "the gift" to be a "bear whisperer", Jans asks a perfectly legitimate question: what's the point? Why should humans socialize with bears in the first place? Is that really the right way to save the bears? In Treadwell's case, it led to the needless death of two humans and two bears. In another case, the equally famous Charles Russell habituated wild bears in Kamchatka to humans, making it easier for poachers to approach the bears and massacre them. (Or so Jans believes.)

Perhaps the best way to save the bears is simply to leave them alone...