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Bear Expert and Companion Killed in Bear Attack at Alaska Park ( New View on Old Story )
AP, via TBO.com ^ | Oct 7, 2003 | By Rachel D'oro

Posted on 10/07/2003 7:48:09 PM PDT by greydog

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - A self-taught bear expert who once called Alaska's brown bears harmless was one of two people fatally mauled in a bear attack in the Katmai National Park and Preserve.

The bodies of Timothy Treadwell, 46, and Amie Huguenard, 37, both of Malibu, Calif., were found Monday at their campsite when a pilot arrived who was supposed to take them to Kodiak, state troopers said Tuesday.

Treadwell, co-author of "Among Grizzlies: Living With Wild Bears in Alaska," spent more than a dozen summers living alone with and videotaping Katmai bears. Information on Huguenard was not immediately available.

The Andrew Airways pilot contacted troopers in Kodiak and the National Park Service after he saw a brown bear, possibly on top of a body, at the camp near Kaflia Bay.

Park rangers encountered a large, aggressive male brown bear within minutes of arriving. Ranger Joel Ellis said two officers stood by with shotguns as he fired 11 times with a semi-automatic handgun before the animal fell, 12 feet away.

"That was cutting it thin," said Ellis, the lead investigator. "I didn't take the time to count how many times it was hit."

The victims' remains and camping equipment were flown Monday to Kodiak. Ellis said investigators hope to glean some information from video and still cameras.

As the plane was being loaded, another aggressive bear approached and was killed by rangers and troopers. The bear was younger, possibly a 3-year-old, according to Bruce Bartley of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

The victims' bodies were flown to the state medical examiner's office for autopsy.

Dean Andrew, owner of Andrew Airways, said the pilot was too upset to comment. The company had been flying Treadwell to Katmai for 13 years and Huguenard for the last couple of years. Andrew said Treadwell was an experienced outdoorsman.

Treadwell was known for his confidence around bears. He often touched them, and gave them names. Once he was filmed crawling along the ground singing as he approached a sow and two cubs.

Over the years, Park Service officials, biologists and others expressed concern about his safety and the message he was sending.

"At best he's misguided," Deb Liggett, superintendent at Katmai, told the Anchorage Daily News in 2001. "At worst he's dangerous. If Timothy models unsafe behavior, that ultimately puts bears and other visitors at risk."

That same year Treadwell was a guest on the "Late Show with David Letterman," describing Alaska brown bears as mostly harmless "party animals."

In his book, Treadwell said he decided to devote himself to saving grizzlies after a drug overdose, followed by several close calls with brown bears in early trips to Alaska. He said those experiences inspired him to give up drugs, study bears and establish a nonprofit bear-appreciation group, called Grizzly People.

Grizzly and brown bears are the same species, but "brown" is used to describe bears in coastal areas and "grizzly" for bears in the interior.

The deaths were the first known bear killings in the 4.7-million-acre park on the Alaska Peninsula.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; US: Alaska
KEYWORDS: afaileddrdoolittle; bears; partay; timothytreadwell; wildlife
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two officers stood by with shotguns as he fired 11 times with a semi-automatic handgun before the animal fell, 12 feet away.

A scatter-gun and pea-shooter against a bear?

"I didn't take the time to count how many times it was hit."

Gun Control?

The victims' bodies were flown to the state medical examiner's office for autopsy.

Conclusion = Bear Snack

Once he was filmed crawling along the ground singing as he approached a sow and two cubs.

This is getting worse by the second.

In his book, Treadwell said he decided to devote himself to saving grizzlies after a drug overdose

There you go, I knew something was up here

1 posted on 10/07/2003 7:48:09 PM PDT by greydog
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2 posted on 10/07/2003 7:49:40 PM PDT by Support Free Republic (Your support keeps Free Republic going strong!)
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To: greydog
A self-taught bear expert who once called Alaska's brown bears harmless was one of two people fatally mauled in a bear attack

In other news, a self-taught shark expert was seen swimming with seals and bleeding fish.

3 posted on 10/07/2003 7:52:40 PM PDT by Pukin Dog (Sans Reproache)
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To: greydog
"Among Grizzlies: Living With Wild Bears in Alaska"

Ironic, that.

4 posted on 10/07/2003 7:52:43 PM PDT by niteowl77 (If you haven't prayed for our troops, please start; if you stopped, then do some catching up.)
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To: greydog
Fry brain, Darwin Award winner.
5 posted on 10/07/2003 7:52:44 PM PDT by visualops (psst...psst...hey kid...ya want a tagline? .......c'mon... they're yummy....)
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To: Support Free Republic

Dramatic reenactment

6 posted on 10/07/2003 7:54:29 PM PDT by dagnabbit (Proud Hispanic, African-American, Gay Muslim since 2003)
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To: greydog
That same year Treadwell was a guest on the "Late Show with David Letterman," describing Alaska brown bears as mostly harmless "party animals."


Yeah..and they found some "party favors". You gotta love these dorks.
7 posted on 10/07/2003 7:55:40 PM PDT by outpost44
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To: greydog
My doctor said he and a friend were receiving the required Ranger briefing before going backpacking in Yellowstone. The Ranger began to tell tham about how to protect themselves from Bears. They said they weren't afraid because they had a 45 caliber handgun. The Ranger asked to see their handgun. They asked why. He said "I want file off the sight" "Why" they asked. He replied "So it doesn't hurt when the bear jams the gun up you behind"
8 posted on 10/07/2003 7:59:02 PM PDT by Charliehorse
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To: greydog
In his book, Treadwell said he decided to devote himself to saving grizzlies after a drug overdose,

Yes --- I think we know why he came up with the idea that wild bears are just some kind of party animals.

9 posted on 10/07/2003 7:59:15 PM PDT by FITZ
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To: greydog
I'm a handgun hunting enthusiest and I carry big bore handguns, but for big dangerous game, I use a 45-70 big bore levergun.
10 posted on 10/07/2003 8:00:17 PM PDT by umgud (gov't has more money than it needs, but never as much as it wants)
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Comment #11 Removed by Moderator

To: greydog
The guy's web page.
12 posted on 10/07/2003 8:03:34 PM PDT by VadeRetro
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To: greydog
Slugs in a scattergun are mighty good ammo against most any living thing at short range. But why the two guys with shotguns just stood there while a 1000 lb bear charged their friend...
13 posted on 10/07/2003 8:06:27 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (Even if the government took all your earnings, you wouldn’t be, in its eyes, a slave.)
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To: greydog
Well...mostly harmless.
14 posted on 10/07/2003 8:09:58 PM PDT by ArcLight
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To: greydog
A self-taught bear expert who once called Alaska's brown bears harmless...

Awww. He must've been a consultant for this movie.

15 posted on 10/07/2003 8:10:12 PM PDT by martin_fierro (Prop 53: YES|Prop 54: YES|Recall: YES|Governor: TOM, but will settle for Arnie)
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To: dagnabbit
LOL!!
16 posted on 10/07/2003 8:10:25 PM PDT by ArcLight
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To: Charliehorse
Actually a 22 cal or 25 cal is best for bears. You can concel it from the rest of your group and pull it out if the bear charges. You then shoot the person right next to you right behind the knee and then run like hell. The bear will normally eat the slowest person in the group.
17 posted on 10/07/2003 8:10:28 PM PDT by U S Army EOD (Feeling my age, but wanting to feel older)
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To: greydog
Sometimes the bear comes up behind and overwhelms, say, a fisherman, and the .454 Casull never makes it out of the holster. Another time two hunters were found killed, surrounded by spent .45 casings, no bear in sight.
18 posted on 10/07/2003 8:10:40 PM PDT by RightWhale (Repeal the Law of the Excluded Middle)
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To: greydog
Why, oh why, must they always resort to violence? Couldn't they just have reasoned with the animal? Why can't we all just get along? Bears are intellegent and can be reasoned with. Kumbyah, my friends, kumbyah.

But, they brought upon themselves. They did not respect the bear just as humans have not respected bears in the past. This is the logical outcome. The deaths of these two fine people and this excellent bear are on the heads of the Republicans and Bush. Kumbyah, my friends, kumbyah.

19 posted on 10/07/2003 8:11:35 PM PDT by Tacis
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To: Blood of Tyrants
But why the two guys with shotguns just stood there while a 1000 lb bear charged their friend...

I bet the guy with the pistol may be re-evaluating their friendship!

20 posted on 10/07/2003 8:11:39 PM PDT by Pearls Before Swine (South-south-west, south, south-east, east....)
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