In all our travels in Alaska, the only encounter with a bear was at Katmai National Park. It’s actually more unusual NOT to have an encounter with a bear at Katmai, as the place is grizzly heaven. Luckily, they’re totally uninterested in humans and are there for the salmon. Still, seeing a 500 pound carnivore coming towards you on the trail is pretty disconcerting. The Ranger was very calm of course and merely said “Okay, everybody step off the trail and stay still.” We also saw polar bears on Barter Island. But people go to both of those places because there are bears.
I needed to look up where Timothy Treadwell was when he died. Yes, Katmai National Park.
It’s what happens when you anthropomorphize wild animals and think they’re your friends. They may become habituated to your presence, but in the end they’re predators.
And you strongly resemble lunch.
One thing that is majorly F’d up is that he brought his girlfriend, to her death.
Not really, though. Bears are omnivores who eat meat when it is convenient, but not predators in the same way as wolves or mountain lions. If you encounter a bear in the bear’s habitat, it is almost always an accident, but if you encounter a mountain lion, it is the exact opposite of an accident. The big white ones really are predators, though their cuisine normally does not include most land animals except when it is convenient or they are famished.
You’re absolutely right. I misspoke. Most bears dine on berries and grubs, and fish if they can catch them. The one that killed Treadwell and his girlfriend was a sick bear that was malnourished and looking for an easy meal. When the rescue plane arrived, the bear came at them as well and was killed. As you mentioned, polar bears are a different story.
Those bears are toast. You ever see the size and weight of handbags these gals are armed with?
El Kabong!