So I made the mistake last class of giving into my curiosity and googling exactly what happened to Timothy Treadwell. I advise anybody reading this blog entry not to do that. And especially stay away from Google images. He and his girlfriend died quite painfully and the images are gruesome, to say the least. His story raises conflicting opinions for me.
On the one hand, I believe the idea of conservation is wonderful and necessary. Grizzly bears – like all animals – are beautiful creatures and they should be protected. But, they should also be respected and I do not think Mr. Treadwell respected them as he should have. The Alaskans in the video even made reference to it. Treadwell treated the Grizzlies as if they were pets or friends. He didn't respect that they were wild animals that were dangerous and could kill him. He often said they could kill a man, but he still chose to treat them as if they wouldn't harm him. Obviously, he was wrong. In failing to respect the Grizzlies, he caused four deaths: his own, his girlfriend, and the two bears. He acknowledged before he died that he felt his welcome had been overstayed in the park. His girlfriend wrote in her diary how scared and unwelcome she felt. The bear that killed them tried to attack Treadwell on film in the days prior to his death.
If he truly respected nature, Treadwell would still be alive. He would have taken the hints being shoved in his face and packed up his trip when he had originally planned, instead of extending it into a time of the year when he knew the bears were most dangerous.
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