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[OM] Re: OT: Treadwell and Bears

Subject: [OM] Re: OT: Treadwell and Bears
From: Chris Barker <ftog@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2004 18:08:08 +0000
Mark

Nice to hear from someone else who has a 50-250 ;-)  But I'm afraid 
that it isn't long enough for photographing Grizzlies.

I went off List to reply to Jim's posta, but here is what I wrote:


> Yes, that's what I read as well, except that it was not so much that 
> they were feeding there, but that they were in "hyperphlagia" 
> (spelling?).  Apparently, in October bears are desparate to put fat on 
> and go into a feeding frenzy.  Treadwell was aware of the risks, but 
> he had never been attacked and he wanted to check on a favourite bear 
> called Downey.  He was attacked by an old male who seems to have had 
> trouble feeding....
>
> What I meant was that Grizzlies are carnivores and will attack humans 
> as food, perhaps just like Polar bears - although I did not know that 
> Polar bears, sweet cuddly things that they are ;-), actually hunted 
> humans.
>
> I must admit that I found the narrative of Treadwell and Annie's death 
> quite disturbing.  It seems that the bear started eating them before 
> they died, or even lost consciousness.  A dreadful way to go, even if 
> he had put himself in harm's way.
>
> Some of our students are going on a canoeing expedition to Algonquin 
> Park, Ontario in the late Summer.  I have been checking their site for 
> news of Grizzlies, but they mention only Black bear (herbivore?).  
> However, I have just found a travel brochure which tells me that there 
> is a colony of Grizzlies in British Columbia...
>

I accept that I am a novice when it comes to large carnivores; however, 
it seems to me that the Grizzly is quite content to eat humans, perhaps 
especially when food is scarce or difficult to catch.  I don't think 
that I shall walk quite so placidly in the woods again ... ;-)

Chris

On 4 Feb 2004 , at 17:19, Mark_Jennings@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

>
> I have to agree with Jim about the bears and Tim Treadwell.  Actually, 
> it
> is a testament to the remarkable tolerance and patience of the bears at
> Katmai.  They put up with Treadwell in their midst for about 13 summers
> before attacking him.  It was a tragedy that two people died, and then 
> two
> bears had to be shot.  But this came as a shock to no one.
>
snip
<|_:-)_|>

C M I Barker
Cambridgeshire, Great Britain.

+44 (0)7092 251126
ftog at threeshoes.co.uk
http://www.threeshoes.co.uk
http://homepage.mac.com/zuiko
... a nascent photo library.


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