Grizzly Man - Emma Schlosser

 I recently watched a documentary called "Grizzly Man." I truly enjoyed the film, though my friends were not so keen on its focus. The documentary was centered around a man who loved bears. Timothy Treadwell was an environmental activist, mainly focused on how humans effect bear populations and wellbeing. Every summer for like 13 years, he would venture out and live on Kodiak Island in Alaska. He had a barrel of food and a tent where he would reside, bringing a camera to document his findings and thoughts. To me, he was a fun personality who truly enjoyed what his life had become. He loved bears more than life itself, dedicating thousands of hours of his life to advocacy and education on the population. He visited the same time every year, so the bears populating the area were ones he recognized and vice versa, or so he argues. He would sit patiently and talk to the bears, keeping a distance, not one that was safe by any means. He loved talking to the bears, naming them and introducing himself to their cubs. On that 13th or 14th summer, he sadly passed away via bear attack, though it was not one he normally ever saw. 

Many people critiqued his "wild" behavior on the grounds that bears were not pets nor something to get super close to. While I would naturally be too scared to do anything like this, the thought kind of inspires me and I am glad he found his passion. The often talks surrounding wildlife are ones of leave no trace, and instructions on how not to interact with them. While valuable, his work did encourage people to get educated and support rather than fear these animals. Where is the line between staying away and educating, and being in the field educating? 

Advocacy is an important skill to have and a vital one when it comes to environmental studies. Treadwell was a particularly amazing example of this necessary advocacy, though it is not recommended to live with bears once a year by any means. I truly loved this film and would highly recommend it!

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