Posted on 08/26/2012 11:20:17 AM PDT by jazusamo
A grizzly attacked and killed a lone backpacker in Denali National Park and Preserve on Friday after the man encountered the bear next to a river and lingered there snapping pictures, according to the National Park Service.
The death is the first fatal bear mauling in Alaska in seven years and the only one in the 6-million-acre park's recorded history, going back more than 90 years, the Park Service said.
"It's an extremely rare event, and it's not common that we even have injuries related to bears," said park spokeswoman Maureen McLaughlin. "We don't see a lot, and we think some of that is due to our education."
But the man -- identified late Saturday as 49-year-old San Diego, Calif., resident Richard White -- apparently ignored key parts of that education, which the Park Service says he received prior to heading into the Denali wilderness, in part of the park where there are no trails. Photos on White's camera showed he stayed near the bear, instead of leaving the area, as required by his permit, park officials said.
Alaska Wildlife Troopers assisting park rangers shot a large male grizzly Saturday believed to have killed White and cached his body the day before, the Park Service said. The rangers had been unable to recover White's remains for more than 24 hours, but retrieved him late Saturday, a park spokeswoman said.
It was Friday afternoon, when three hikers on a day trip found White's backpack on a gravel bar along the Upper Toklat River, about three miles from a rest area of the seasonal road that runs through the park, the Park Service said. Looking closer, there was evidence of a violent struggle: blood and torn clothes.
(Excerpt) Read more at adn.com ...
And his parents probably thought he would never amount to S#!^...
Oh, there’s a bunch of land that’s pretty to look at where bears live - let’s make it a park!
The bear wanted food and there it was. He even stored the food after he ate what he wanted at that time.
What? A bear in his own home area got meat and we killed him. I suppose since the bears are not safe in their own homeland, they should go to towns and try for food there.
Close the damn park and leave the bears alone. I’m not a tree hugger but there won’t be any God made animals left if we keep taking their land. That poor bear didn’t know why he was being killed.
I am a city girl but even I would know not to do this.
Can you imagine what the bear must have concluded about this guy, as he just stood his ground.
Why do people who don’t understand the wilderness go there? I don’t go there. I probably wouldn’t last 24 hours.
Heck, I almost drowned in a creek this year. Yay me, I’ll never live that down. But at least I’m alive not to live it down.
KNOW YOUR LIMITS!
Lone backpacker? Sad but anyone going solo back packing or hiking is begging for trouble.
May God comfort his family.
Bears are too smart, they know eating crap is bad for you.
That bear is scarier looking that a real bear! He’s got the crazy eyes!
This guy was an idiot, he had instruction on the do’s and dont’s to get the hiking permit and ignored them.
And wash it down with a 64 oz. megabig gulp.
You jokers oughta consider the victim’s girlfriend Bertha of Berkeley who has to bear this loss.
When I say close the park, I mean for the government to get out and leave the land and it’s citizens (the bears and other creatures) alone. Then, people can go there if they want to take a chance the citizens may attack and eat them.
“There have been at least two cases where man-eating Alaskan bears moved to New York city to increase their chances at catching their favored prey.”
I wondered if you were confusing bear with cougar?
Cougars from all over America migrate to Ft. Lauderdale and Daytona every Spring Break in search of their prey.
Bears repeating.
My step nephew use to give hiking tours in Alaskan bear country. One fellow asked him what he should do if he saw a bear. Stevy replied, “Whatever you do, don’t run in my direction”.
LOL!
Bertha of Berkeley is darn lucky she didn’t go with him like Timmy’s girlfriend did.
No, I saw them on the train. They were bears.
That’s my problem with Treadwell. He had left the area. Then went back with his girlfriend. He knew it to be dangerous. If a guy does something dangerous but foolish, and endangers no one else? Fine. But to take a young girl into this a grizzly infested area? Nuts!
Amen, exactly right.
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