The Grizzly Man

Perhaps many people wonder why I have not commented before now in defense of Timothy Treadwell or maybe try to distance myself from him. I initially did not consider defending Timothy, I just wanted the whole thing to fade into oblivion with him, but in reality this kind of story will inevitably become part of the grizzly mythology that so many people love. I have struggled with his death and voiced my frustration privately with some people, including a Russian friend. She was horrified that I would speak negatively about a dead acquaintance, insisting that Russians do not do that. I didn’t wholly believe her, but her admonishment was another excuse to remain quiet. Now people insist that I comment. This is my response.


There were many people who saw the probability of Timothy Treadwell dying. Many of these people hated Timothy for suggesting that bears were animals that deserved less violent treatment than our hunting culture allows them. Some literally cheered when he was killed by the animal that he loved and so passionately tried to defend. They use his death as proof that bears can never be trusted and that brown bear numbers and range must always be controlled and governed by harsh dominance.