Wildlife author killed, eaten by bears he loved

[DoNotRefill]

"A California author and filmmaker who became famous for trekking to Alaska's remote Katmai coast to commune with brown bears has fallen victim to the teeth and claws of the wild animals he loved.

Alaska State Troopers and National Park Service officials said Timothy Treadwell, 46, and girlfriend Amie Huguenard, 37, were killed and partially eaten by a bear or bears near Kaflia Bay, about 300 miles southwest of Anchorage, earlier this week.

Scientists who study Alaska brown bears said they had been warning Treadwell for years that he needed to be more careful around the huge and powerful coastal twin of the grizzly. "

http://www.adn.com/front/story/4110831p-4127072c.html

"Some days you eat the bear, some days the bear eats you." --old folk saying

[ixion]

1. hey, they died doing what they loved...

you can't ask for anything more.

Godspeed, Mr Treadwell and Ms Huguenard.

[kodi]

3. forgive me but they died in absolute terror by being eaten by wild animals

that was not at all what they "loved"

trying to mythologize or rationalize something so horrible is goofy.

[piece sine]

54. Mom used to sing this to me....

"If you go out in the woods today,
you better not go alone!
It's beautiful out in the woods today,
but safer to stay at home.
For every bear that ever was,
is gathered there for certain because...
Today's the day the teddybears have a picnic."

Stupid is as stupid does. You have to presume people have enough common sense not to be eaten by bears.

[bearfartinthewoods]

62. do you call astronauts stupid as well?

he wasn't stupid. he was doing a dangerous job. there is a difference.

[Lurking Dem]

63. Would you call an astronaut "stupid"

who ignored all training and common sense and went into space with no oxygen so he could get the full experience?

[piece sine]

65. maybe...

If astronaut shot into space without her helmet or oxygen supply, yeah..I'd say the astronaut was ill-equipped for the mission. If a bear-chasing photographer put himself into harm's way without a gun; without the portable electric fence they often use; without defense mechanisms, I'll label them stupid. There's never a good reason to be eaten alive. it's just plain STUPID.

[okieinpain]

83. yes astronauts are stupid people, they strap themselves onto

megaton bombs and cross their fingers.

[Barrett808]

2. Sea Shepherd Tribute to Bear Activist Timothy Treadwell

Longtime Sea Shepherd crewmember and activist Timothy Treadwell died Monday, October 6th, along with his female companion, Amie Huguenard, in Katmai National Park, Kodiak, Alaska. Preliminary investigation states that the two died from a brown bear mauling.

Timothy has spent more time alone living with grizzly bears than any other human being. His main objective was to protect them from poaching which he successfully accomplished over the last thirteen years. He has written two books on his experiences with the bears, and he devoted his life to educating people on the lecture circuit about the misguided indulgence of sport hunting.

The extreme dangers from the poachers, who threatened his life many times, and the bears themselves, were always in his mind. Timothy knew more about wild grizzly bears than anyone, and he most certainly did all that he could to prevent the attack.

Timothy has been on the Sea Shepherd Advisory Board for six years, and has been on two Sea Shepherd Harp Seal campaigns in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.

Our hearts are broken for our fallen crewmember, but his spirit will always be with Sea Shepherd. We hope that Timothy’s effort to save wild bears will continue, and Sea Shepherd will do all that we can to protect these beautiful animals in the future.

http://www.seashepherd.org/media_info2.asp?id=62

[DoNotRefill]

9. I hate to disagree with them but...

"Timothy knew more about wild grizzly bears than anyone, and he most certainly did all that he could to prevent the attack."

the original article I posted stated that he refused to take even very basic precautions like carrying non-lethal "bear spray" or setting up electrified fencing around his campsite. And while he may have known more about wild bears than anybody, it looks like he forgot the basics...like how to NOT get eaten.

[jmowreader]

12. If he knew more about wild grizzly bears than anyone...

Why didn't he know this little snippet out of the Army's cold weather manual:

"Large bears are voracious predators with no natural enemies and no fear of man."

Look: when I went to Alaska for winter training, we weren't allowed out of the cantonment area ("town" to you civilians) unless we were escorted by a soldier armed with a loaded elephant gun. This is a guy who went up to fucking live grizzly bears, the most dangerous four-legged animals on the continent, to prove they're not dangerous. There is a term for people who do this: hors d'oeuvre.

The only thing I don't understand is why it took this long for some bear to turn this guy into a Vienna sausage.

[gulliver]

4. Sorry they got eaten but...

... I don't have a whole lot of sympathy. I don't dig the idea of saying "I love you" to a big predator or calling it Booble. That sort of anthropomorphization is bad for the predator and for humans both, I think.

I feel the same way about people in shark cages. A big part of me wishes they would get eaten so they would stop training sharks not to avoid swimming near people.

[Barrett808]

22. I think this quote expresses my feelings on the matter

Katmai superintendent Deb Liggett said she was deeply troubled by the whole episode.

"The last time I saw Timothy, I told him to be safe out there and that none of my staff would ever forgive him if they had to kill a bear because of him,'' she said. "I kind of had a heart-to-heart with him. I told him he was teaching the wrong message.

What a waste.

[bluestateguy]

5. Just watch

Rush Limbaugh will make a parody out of this just to make fun of animal rights activists. I'm not saying support all of what PETA does, but his support for naked cruelty to animals is appalling.

[The Stranger]

21. Exactly right.

Rush Limbaugh and the Conservative scions at Fox News will use this to ridicule and demonize those who stand up for animal rights and for the environment.

The implied message is: You don't need to worry about animal habitate or the environment because look how silly this person is who worried about animal habitat and the environment.

The state of denial is thus able to be sustained.

[laruemtt]

39. i don't think old

limpballs is in much of a position to be putting anybody down! big ol blusta busta can't even make it in this world with his little oxyCs. what a limpberger

[Padraig18]

6. I'm sorry they're dead, but...

... they are large predators who eat other mammals! It was their turn to find out EXACTLY where they stood in the food chain. *shrug*

[demdave]

7. Give them both a Darwin award and move on.

"A self-proclaimed eco-warrior, he attracted something of a cult following too. Chuck Bartlebaugh of "Be Bear Aware,'' a national bear awareness campaign, called Treadwell one of the leaders of a group of people engaged in "a trend to promote getting close to bears to show they were not dangerous.

"He kept insisting that he wanted to show that bears in thick brush aren't dangerous. The last two people killed (by bears) in Glacier National Park went off the trail into the brush. They said their goal was to find a grizzly bear so they could 'do a Timothy.' We have a trail of dead people and dead bears because of this trend that says, 'Let's show it's not dangerous.' ''"

This kind of stupidity leads to your death and paves the way for the death of others. Wild animals ned to be protected and respected. You need to understand their natural responses and steer clear of encounters. We are the intruders in the wild.

To continually snuggle up to wild animals and sing "I love you" in their ears is the heighth of foolishness. I hope he enjoyed his visit on Oprah, I also hope those that he confused and deceived learn from his stupidity.

[yorgatron]

8. reminds me of the base-jumper

who died at Yosemite protesting the ban on base-jumping.

[DoNotRefill]

11. Or the Bungee Jumper....

who made a bungee cord out of auto tie-downs, tied it to the bridge, and jumped....but the homemade cord was longer than the drop.

"Oops!" --Lothos, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

[Ellen Forradalom]

29. What this reminds me of is the woman who started Managed Moderation

She insisted that alcoholics could drink in moderation. She believed this about herself until she drove drunk and killed someone.

[maxsolomon]

69. that program works in europe

one pint, go home.

america is too.. too SOMETHING for that to work.

[nannygoat]

10. What's also sad is that two bears

were then killed when humans began to investigate the situation--exactly the opposite of what I'm sure Mr. Treadwell would have wanted...

[DoNotRefill]

13. It looks like they were coming back for seconds....

I don't blame the Rangers for shooting them...

[Bandit]

14. They were not the first this year or probably not the last either

Bears are a known danger to folks who live in Alaska. Every year we hear of someone mauled by the Brown giants. Nine times out of ten the bear is more afraid of you than you are of it but the tenth time may mean your life. I have lived in Alaska all my life and have a deep and abiding respect for them. A moments carelessness can be fatal.

[Jack The Tab]

15. I wonder if any children and teens watched this dumb-ass

Nice lessons to teach impressionable children.

A "Darwin" award for these two, definitely.

Now we just need one for that idiotic Australian that picks up the poisonous snakes and walks on Crocodiles.

THese types show absolutely NO RESPECT for nature. It's arrogance and is rewarded appropriately.

[soupkitchen]

16. The Crocodile Hunter better watch his ass this week. These things come

in threes. Tigers, Bears and ??? The animals are mad as hell and there not going to take it anymore.

[Retrograde]

30. Oh, my!

"Lions and tigers and bears, Oh my!"

-Dorothy and friends

(Sorry, I know this is a serious topic, but I couldn't resist)

linda

[laruemtt]

41. thought i heard this pm

on msrnc that another woman had been mauled by the tiger she was playing around with. looks like the animals are finally standing up and revolting. maybe they're pissed because of the whales being driven to beach themselves cuz the navy gave them the bends. will anyone ever learn what goes around comes around and quit thinking we're king of the jungle cuz we ain't!

[Scairp]

17. I remember this guy

I was nervous just watching on t.v. how close he got to those bears. This is really a shame but he was warned and he thought he knew better than those who warned him.

[slackmaster]

18. I'm looking forward to PETA's press release on this one

It should be quite entertaining.

[haymaker]

25. I see you working..

Are you relating what he did with what Siggy and Roy did? Cause they are not even remotely close.

[slackmaster]

75. No, I'm not suggesting any comparison with the Cat Guys

The Bear Guy acted foolishly. The bear that killed him was a bona fide wild animal, not a captive bred cat that was hand-raised and trained to work in the entertainment industry.

[Piperay]

19. R-I-P

Sorry this happened but it proves "survival of the fittest".

[9215]

20. Apparently the bears "loved" him too.

yummy, yummy.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

70. IS MAN GOOD?

Great sci-fi comics short story by Moebius.

[DK666]

23. Ya know

I might be a simple man. But I learned something from my papa. If it can kill you leave it alone...

[haymaker]

24. I wish more bear hunters met this fate.

That guy was so much braver than the punk ass chumps who go up there to kill a bear for the thrill of it with a rifle from far away.

His contributions to the knowledge of brown bears will be missed.

Here's to Tim and Amie :toast: :beer:

[roguevalley]

26. Its not respectful of the animals up here to not treat them the way

they deserve. During calving season, I've seen greenhorns walk right up to mother moose and chase their babies around. A moose can stomp you to death so fast, they know no fear.

This man had an epiphany quitting drugs and decided to meet nature at its most elemental. ANYONE who has lived around browns, grizzlies and
polar bears KNOW only a fool does what he did. He was lucky for years but the bears are nothing to be trifled with. They are more unsettled than usual now because of the global warming crap. They wake up early in spring, due to lack of snow, and are hungry. They come right down into my town, my best friend had a sow and her cub den up under her porch and she didn't know it until they came out in the spring.

I've seen moose and bear walk past BIG dangerous dogs and the dogs lie down, pretending to be invisible because they can't live through an encounter. My best friend had a grizzly try and get into her house this summer, the huge prints are still on her windows.

This man had a notion that was flawed from the get go and he paid for it. That part is the damned shame, that and the two beautiful and innocent bears that were killed because of him. Those bears didn't deserve to die, even if they were eating him because they were in their habitat, acting in their NORMAL behavior and this was their right.

If you don't want to be eaten, don't go into their turf. I don't hike up here because I am terrified of coming between a sow and her cubs. God help you if a bear wants to kill you because no one else will. It took eleven or twelve bullets to bring down one of those two bears and their aggression? It was from having people in their territory and because they were protecting their kill: the two dead people. Poor damned things. But what can you expect when you creep up to a wild bear and touch it? A thank you?

By the by, every so often in Barrow a polar bear or ten will come into town and stalk people. You have to be heads up in the morning sometimes because the bears will stalk you around your house and to your cars. If that isn't scary, I don't know what is.

[Submariner]

72. When I was on a job in Tok

I watched a ADF&G biologist help skin a grizzly for some hunter. When they pulled the skin off the skull they found five .357 magnum slugs flattened against the grizzly's forehead.

They attributed the finding to a city slicker that never returned from a hunting trip a few years earlier, who had bragged that he wasn't afraid cuz he had a .357 magnum....which he was warned was under-powered if using on brown bear.

[NickB79]

34. He was also a lot stupider than most hunters

What you call bravery, I call stupidity. At least hunters realize that they are going after DANGEROUS game and take the precaution of carrying a high-power rifle. Would you say someone who knowingly goes spearfishing in shark-infested waters is braver than someone who catches their fish from a boat, or just more stupid? This guy didn't even carry pepper spray!?! Wow, thats all I can say about this. He watched one too many Disney films, I think.

[haymaker]

46. Typical mui, mui macho bullshit.

There is almost never a need to kill a bear. The only reason is if WE have invaded its territory and there is some unfortunate encounter and lives might be at stake.

Men flying to Alaska to kill bears are pussies. Fuckin pussies. George Herbert Herbert Bush flying to Africa to kill a lion is because he is a fuckin pussy. I wish one had Royed his ass.

[RebelOne]

59. Amen

But did you know that Dean and Clark are hunters, also?

[haymaker]

67. No. What kind of hunters?

What degree of bloodlust do they harbor? Do they hunt ducks, or do they fly to Africa to get led by the hand into the bush to kill a lion, protected by the company of accomplished lion slaughterers and tribesmen?

[MaidinVermont]

53. Wishing death upon bear hunters is pretty low

Many of us liberal Vermonters enjoy bear hunting and would condemn so-called proressives who wish us death by our sport. Please stay in smugville and out of Vermont. Many a good bear meat meal has been served in our country home.

[Spentastic]

55. Killing bears

For fun seems pretty low to some people.

Where's the sport? You have a rifle, the bear stands little chance. Why not admit you just like killing things?

Welcome to DU by the way!

[RebelOne]

57. Yep, I agree with you.

I consider hunting a cowardly sport.

[haymaker]

66. You don't need to kill bears,

coward. When you go kill one, mano a bearo, no gun, no knife, then you will get a little respect, and only if that is self-defense.

[MaidinVermont]

82. I apologize for you needing to call me a coward.

I refuse to apologize for being a hunter. One of my hobbies is casting my own bullets, milling, pressing and flaking the black powder and synthesizing the primers. I have yet to build a true enough rifle to insure a 100% zero accuracy so I use a solid Spanish .50 cal 29" nipple feeder with iron sights.

All this mano stuff aside I'm a hunter and I'm not ashamed of it.

[truthisfreedom]

27. i work a lot with high-voltage equipment, and for years i got no shocks

until just recently. motorcycles, convertibles, bicycles, bears, tigers, high-voltage tube amplifiers... stuff we love but can kill us. you can put on a safety helment and stay in a concrete bunker eating canned food that's been radiation-sterilized, or you can live life to it's fullest and be as careful as you can without taking all the fun out of it. condoms break, bears attack... what to do.

[roguevalley]

28. I agree:

"you can put on a safety helment and stay in a concrete bunker eating canned food that's been radiation-sterilized, or you can live life to it's fullest and be as careful as you can without taking all the fun out of it. condoms break, bears attack... what to do."

However, he was posing the premise that you can walk to a grizzly and pat them. That sort of tells a lot of others, who might be genuinely interested in the animals, that they can too. I am sorry they are gone but it amazes me that it didn't happen sooner. He must have always been around bears well fed. The bears now are struggling. It was his bad luck and hers to underestimate and, in my opinion, under respect them. It was a terrible price to pay for a wrong hypothesis.

You can choose to be safe or not. He honestly believed what he did was good, safe and possible. The bears are wild animals, not pary dudes. I love them but I fear them.

[Myra]

31. "and innocent bears that were killed because of him..."

That's the part that infuriates me.
If this guy wanted to win a Darwin award
that's his business. But his stupidity
killed two bears. He sure managed to do
a lot of harm in his selfish personal quest.

And frankly I think it's outrageous that the bears
were shot so that the remains of the two humans could
be retrieved. What a bunch of crap.

[alcuno]

32. Did you guys hear? The whole thing was caught on audiotape.

The guy was wearing a tape recorder that went on when the attack occured.

[roguevalley]

33. hadn't heard. I hope they never show it if true.

*

[alcuno]

36. Olberman was talking about it.

It kicked on when the man was attacked.

[Pert_UK]

40. I have no objection to them showing the audiotape.....

but they shouldn't let anyone listen to it...

Sorry. Pedantry unlimited...

P.

[ozone_man]

37. That's a morbid thought.

I read an article about this guy in Backpacker magazine. I feel sorry for him, but grizzlies (and bull moose) are pretty dangerous animals. I was surprised to read that Bull moose deaths are slightly more than bear deaths. This year seems to be a bad one in Alaska for bears though.

[Barrett808]

38. Alaska Bear Mauling Recorded on Tape

Alaska Bear Mauling Recorded on Tape
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031009/ap_on_re_us/bear_attack_3

[toopers]

35. If you want to see a little of Treadwell in action . . .

Follow the link below, or copy and paste.

http://home.att.net/~stonecrop/salmon-bear.mov

[piece sine]

68. ROTFLMAO....THANK YOU!

Damn, trooper...that clip is the funniest thing I've seen in a long, long time! I'm howling!

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

42. the comments on this thread show where we are headed as humans

--on edit--this is my 600th post !!--congrats to meeee!!!

Because of comments and attitudes of many on this thread I am not at all going to be surprised when, in the next 20 to 30 years much of the wildlife as we know it will be extinct--and the food chain a wreck.

-There are now over 6 billion people on this planet-
-the rules must change if we are going to survive-
-It seems that the conscious awareness has not increased in proportion to the population increase.

With 6 billion people we can no longer live by traditional rules and traditional values.

People like Jaques Cousteau and others have dedicated their time on this planet to educate others about the ability of nature and man to co exist--

Power to all Sea Shepherds, Green Peace Activitsts, and any radical group that stands up for animal rights.

If we lose the ecosystem we endanger the survival of the entire human race (and no, none of us will ever have any great great grandchildren...)

funny eh?

easy to make a joke about it-

-some people giggle when they are afraid and can't admit the truth to themselves--

-ignorance is not stupidity--it means to ignore--
ignore + ance = ignorance

The truth may just bite us all on the ass when it's too late.


May strength and courage be bestowed upon all those who give their lives (willingly or unwillingly) to help preserve what is left of the wildlife on this planet.
May their efforts give us all strength and and may their abilities to bridge the gap between man and nature inspire others to follow in their steps.

Fatalities do occur when mistakes happen at any any hazardous job.
Sometimes mistakes can be fatal.

When a mine collapses on a miner we don't laugh and make jokes that he should have had sense to "get a real job".

My regards and deepest sympathies to the family and all those who love these brave souls.
True heroes


Shame on all who willingly ignore the grave situation the human race faces in the 21st century

[Ellen Forradalom]

44. You've missed the point entirely.

Apparently this man failed to show proper respect for the bears' awesome power. He had a tape recorder on him, but did not take rudimentary safety precautions. He may not have deserved to die, but he failed to take responsibility for preventing it. As a result of his irresponsibility, he, his girlfriend, and two bears are dead.

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

45. no Forra--it is you who have missed the point----duhhhey--

WAKE UP !!!---Accidents happen at hazardous jobs--
You don't go around condeming the victims!!
That "is" the point.
not hard to understand--

These people put their own lives at risk to keep shallow thinkers from exterminating everything on this planet that they might be afraid of.

For these people to be blamed for their own deaths is downright boneheaded
but it's even more redneck to joke about it.

feel free to have your opinion but don't tell me what the point is until you see the light forradolom--

[jsw_81]

48. LOL

Are you serious? This guy tempted fate and became bear food. And it was his own damn fault for being so stupid. Quit defending him.

[9215]

49. But how do you REALLY feel toward those who were eaten?

We already know the bears "loved" them.

[Spentastic]

52. Bollocks

"Accidents happen at hazardous jobs--
You don't go around condeming the victims!!"

In most hazardous jobs extensive safety precautions are taken to ensure death.

If I read about a miner trying to remove a filling with a diamond bit drill I'd laugh.

Or a miner playing cricket with explosives.

These people wanted bears to be something they are not. Their motives may have been pure and I admire that, but their methods were fatally flawed.

This was not an "accident" this was a foreseeable, avoidable incident.

[Spentastic]

56. Dammit

Darn edit period.

Should read

"In most hazardous jobs extensive safety precautions are taken to ensure death does not occur."

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

43. I feel bad, but I couldn't help but laugh at the headline...

Kinda like swimming with pihranna (sp?).

[jsw_81]

47. Saw a story about this guy on NBC earlier

He said that he wouldn't carry a gun and wouldn't hurt a bear even to save his own life! What an idiot.

[i have issues]

50. I'm so sick of purported

"scientists" f%$*ing with wild animals, and then being suprised when something goes (horribly) wrong..... They're ANIMALS fer chrissakes what the f$@k do you expect?! That dickhead Roy got exactly what he deserved IMHOP!
Sorry for the rant ,but as a lifelong dog rescuer, who has been bitten quite a few times by feral street critters, I have very little sympathy for those who choose human ego (ie;" understanding"/ "taming") over just plain common sense and love of the myriad other life forms we share our planet with.

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

51. ok then-next time a dog catcher like you gets bit we'll all laugh--ha ha

and blame him if a dog gets hurt because he was trying to catch it...

and call him a stupid idiot for not knowing his job and allowing a mistake to happen--

next time a cop gets shot we'll all laugh since he didn't have a big enough gun when he was "messin" with da gangs--!!!

We'll laugh when a race car driver dies since he should have had a safer car !!

We'll all laugh when a prisoner at Gitmo gets tortured -"-sheeeet...--he shudn't u' beeen in afghanistan !!

WAKE UP!!
--the guy did a job that will benefit you and your children's children and if you don't see that then you just don't want to see it--

again--
Duhh friggin hey--
Wait til the wildlife's all extinct to start worrying about protecting it-??
no--I don't think everyone is going to "wait" till Bush's buddies tear up what's left of our wilderness and National Parks and Preserves---

[Lurking Dem]

61. Your premise is false.

This was a man who refused to carry bear spray or put fencing around his campsite. The article mentioned food in the tent fer chrissake. This was Suicide By Bear.

To use your analogies, yes I would laugh (or roll my eyes ) if

A dog catcher got bitten trying to catch a rabid pitbull with nothing but his bare hand and chanting "I love you" to the dog.

A cop who got killed in the line of duty who refused to carry a gun, nightstick, flashlight, and handcuffs.

A race car driver who refuses to wear approved safety gear (like Dale).

The torture of prisoners is such a strawman I won't even address that one.

The guy did NOTHING to benefit me or mine in my understanding of bears. All he did was endanger the lives of the animals he purported to love. His actions were heinous.

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

73. Wildlife preservation is a valid job

To deny or ignore is your right. You are entitled to your opinion.
you sayThe guy did NOTHING to benefit me or mine in my understanding of bears---does this mean that he didn't provide you with any sources or that you chose not to examine any of his films or essays to gain a greater understanding?


I'm sure you know damn well that without conservation and research there would be no National Parks and Preserves and much of the wildlife on this planet could very well be on the endangered list .

Here's the big Duhhey:
What's so hard in understanding the idea that
getting close to wild animals in their natural habitat to study and document them broadens our understanding of nature??
--it definitely dissolves the "redneck" attitude like "the only good snakes are dead snakes"--"the only good bears are dead bears"--"the only good tigers are dead tigers"...etc.,

When mistakes happen we can't just blame the researchers.

The man and his wife were doing their job armed with faith and hope. I'm sure they were probably more aware than any of us about the unpredictable nature of wild Bears...

How many times will a diver explore the coral reefs and scan the depths of the ocean without a spear gun only to meet an untimely end from a predator like a shark? Would it negate their validity as a scientist?And by the way, if "you" couldn't learn anything from data gathered by an undersea explorer then that is YOUR problem. To "blame" the diver or to be "pissed" at the diver for not carrying a weapon is probably not very useful nor is it justified.


The likening of conservationists and researchers to others who perform an honorable civic duties like policemen or cancer researchers is not off the mark.

It is more and more likely that in the very near future wars will be waged over vanishing resources.

...(oh, wait a minute...didn't we just take over a country for their resources?)
oh but how stupid of me to equate a resource like oil to wildlife!!!
Excuuuuse me for being so dumb right??
Excuse me for saying that wildlife and the ecosystem are intertwined in the very survival of the human race.
my bad dude.
Let me just play dumb and go balance my checkbook and worry about my family...yeah right..

There are many books available that show wildlife is currently being saved by increased awareness of the ecosystem and understanding of individual species--remember the Gorilla? How 'bout the Elephant?--2 examples of large threatening "creatures"

--by the way-- the "strawman" you mention(the torture of prisoners) is a just a very good example of ignorance....(ignore = ance = ignorance) --you know about it and what are you going to do about it? You may just justify it in your mind and say we'll what did they expect when the good ol U.S. of A. comes invading? these guys who are held at Gitmo are protected under the Geneva Convention against inhumane treatment yet you know from reading threads here that they are being tortured--- we allow Bush to label them as enemy combatants so it's O.K.?.----Ignorance Exists regarding nature and conservation--Your words have shown your willingness to ignore the validity of research.
Ignorance will just give free run to profeteering corporations who's like nothing more than to make a few million bucks while their actions externinate wildlife that may be considered "dangerous".(ARCTIC DRILLING)
This world needs people who are willing to get next to danger to gain a greater understanding of how nature works.

[Lurking Dem]

74. Wow.

What a mind reader you must be.

Apparently I think there is no value in wildlife preservation? What a ridiculous assumption for you to make.

There is no value in people espousing wildlife preservation who then do things which in all probability will endanger wildlife. Period.

Strawmen upon strawmen you now use "pissed" in quotes? Fascinating.

As to blame - if a diver was studying sharks and using no cage, repellant, or weapon I would indeed hold him responsible for his death. It doesn't make the death less tragic. The fact it was preventable, in fact, makes it moreso.

Apparently I don't view wildlife as a natural resource?????????????????????????

Your diatribe on my not personally stopping the torture of prisoners (and the fact that you have no way of knowing what I do or don't do in that regard) apparently means I am ignorant and/or feel that torture at Gitmo is okey dokey. What ANY of that has to do with an idiot trying to tell bears "I love you" up close and persoanl, I have no friggin' clue.

How much can one person pull out of their ass? Oh by all means lets not forget my support of ANWR drilling! :eyes:

I was "green" before there was a fucking Earth Day. My money, support, protests have been at work for decades to save forests, wetlands, reefs, watersheds, and, oh my G-d, wildlife.

Feel free to rant away. You will hereby be known as "Ignore".

[Character Assassin]

76. I think there's a full moon tonight

I've seen a much increased frequency in the amount of sheer, babbling nonsense in the last 24 hours.

BTW, speaking of loonies, here's the 1st course at the bear feast, in his own words: http://www.msnbc.com/news/977560.asp?cp1=1

[Lurking Dem]

81. That would explain the

even more than usual number of idiot drivers on the road today.

For the record, there are some great groups out there helping to preserve bears and their habitats. The National Wildlife Federation, Bear Trust International, and Natural Resources Defense Council are personal faves.

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

86. apparently...

you don't get it--
so let's just say this "conservation" is over--
ha ha ha--- get that?

pick at this greenie---
"pissed" in quotes ?? --here's pissed in italics!!
See any typos too??
how 'bout I didn't write "about"(I used an apostrophe)-
-whoa..the word about is in "quotes" --

whoa two question marks too--
:puke: this is what our debate has become--later dude

Feel free to claim you're pro environment--there's bound to be somebody out there who will believe you

[Superfly]

58. The real tragedy here

is that the 2 bears were shot and killed. In a place where the bears outnumber the people by a long shot, they couldn't just use non-lethal means to repel the bears while they conducted an investigation.

All they had to do is investigate, keep the bears away, and it's very likely that the bears would never see another human again.

These bears were just being bears...they acted as predators, ate a couple prey animals, and loitered in the area where they made their kills.

[Nihil]

60. "No, I DON'T want ****ing double glazing!"

Let's face it, I sometimes get grouchy when people interrupt my mealtimes too!

Watch out for the Turkey Preservation Society raids on 25th December ... they might use this as a precedent and come armed with AK47s ...

Nihil

PS: I agree the searchers should've used tranq's not bullets.

[Romulus]

64. what were they to do?

Once the bears attacked and ate people, that put people on their menu. What was to happen the next time the bears encountered people?


Would you trust tranq's to work in time when a 900-lb, 10ft brown bear is charging you? I wouldn't . . .

[Superfly]

78. The thing is

and the thing that the eaten people have forgotten, is that humans are always on a bear's menu. So are berries, elk, grass, clams, salmon, garbage, etc, etc, etc

There are non-lethal means of teaching a bear that humans are not to be f'd with, like firecrackers, rubber slugs and loud noise, pepper spray, baying dogs, etc.

Eating/attacking people does not turn a bear into a human-hungry eating machine. Venturing into bear territory without a healthy dose of respect for the animals is just inviting an attack.

I saw, by the pictures, that the bears attacked their camp. They say that when bears attack you at night, they are in a strictly predatory, gonna-kill-you frame of mind, and you should have some deterrent readily availabe to repel the attack.

My argument:
1) The biologists, while seeking a noble goal, were stupid.
2) The attacking bears were needlesly killed when authorities came to investigate.

[Ganja Ninja]

71. Some times nature lovers forget common sense.

Nature is like compassionate conservatism in some respects. Nature doesn’t care how kind and gentle you are, your just part of the food chain and another resource to be exploited.

[eridani]

85. Reminds me of Erma Bombeck

...on the subject of camping.

"Forget Disney. Not all bears have their own television shows. Some are unemployed wild animals."

[LeftHander]

77. Rescuers said the scene was grizzly

sorry...

[Submariner]

79. Mauling recorded on tape

The sound of them yelling has been found on tape. They were terrified.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=519&u=/ap/20031009/ap_on_re_us/bear_attack_3&printer=1

[Lurking Dem]

80. Somebody has to....

:spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank:



:evilgrin:

[Clete]

84. I was heartsick when I heard this

but for those of us who live or have lived in bear country we know that they can turn on you even if they have ignored you in the past. When I lived in Idaho, there was an incident of a man who lived alone out in the woods in a trailer. He would come into town once a month to pick up supplies.

He didn't show up for a couple of months in winter so some of the town's people went to his place to check up on him. They found him half eaten in the trailer. They knew it was a bear. The bear also had kept the man in the trailer to keep him away from other predators, shutting the door each time he was through feeding.