Anthropomorphism of bears is dangerous
Question: What do the following names have in common? Teddy, Smokey, Yogi, Boo Boo, Pooh, Berenstain, Paddington, and Fozzie. Answer: they're all names of famous bears.
Though in life bears are big and dangerous, cartoons and books have turned them into lovable cultural icons. For a dose of reality, I recommend two DVDs I recently discovered.
"Grizzly Man" (2005, $27.98, 104 minutes, directed by Werner Herzog, rated "R & quot;) is the sad, dark tale of Timothy Treadwell, a young man who seemed determined to both live and die with wild grizzly bears. This film describes how he accomplished both.
For 13 summers Treadwell lived among wild grizzlies in Alaska. He studied them and filmed them, and much of this compelling documentary consists of Treadwell's own footage of the bears. He was obsessed with grizzlies. At times it seems he either thought he was a bear or wanted to be one. In any case, he learned the hard way how foolish he was.
The film
Nature lovers will enjoy Treadwell's amazing footage of the bears. In one scene a large grizzly is fishing in a deep pool of water. Repeatedly it dives headfirst and only its massive hind feet dangle above the surface. The image of a giant, hairy pearl diver came to mind. Many other times he gets what seems to be dangerously close to his subjects. When Treadwell talks, sings, or chastises the bears, he clearly believes that he is one of them.
Others will enjoy "Grizzly Man" as a case study of human behavior. It's a classic case of loving animals to death. Treadwell so loved these bears and so wanted to protect them that he caused the sacrifice of two grizzlies when authorities shot them to recover what was left of his and his girlfriend's bodies. (It reminds me of domestic animal lovers who take in so many dogs and cats they can't afford to responsibly care for them. Animal welfare professionals even have a term for these people - "animal hoarders. & quot;)
One word of warning: The film's "R" rating stems from several extremely foul-mouthed rants Treadwell launched against enemies of his bears. It's certainly not fit for young children, but these tirades help the viewer understand Treadwell's perspective. "Grizzly Man" is a fascinating, disturbing, and, at times, mesmerizing cautionary tale certain to captivate anyone who enjoys the great outdoors.
Another film
"Project Grizzly" (1996, $19.95, 72 minutes, directed by Peter Lynch, not rated, but beware of some coarse language), which I stumbled upon when ordering "Grizzly Man," offers a much lighter tone. Troy James Hurtubise is a Canadian grizzly enthusiast who, after a close encounter with a grizzly bear, aspires to be a "close-quarter bear researcher." He feels the best way to study and understand bears is up close. He's quickly bored by black bears at city dumps; he wants to go face-to-face with grizzlies. It sounds a little goofy, but this is a guy who shaves in the back country with a razor sharp Bowie knife.
To achieve his goal, Hurtubise builds a grizzly-proof suit of body armor. It stands more than seven feet tall, weighs 147 pounds, and is made of chain mail, titanium, internal air bags, and high tech plastics. The highlights of "Project Grizzly" are the ways Hurtubise tests his body armor. He's battered by a pick-up truck traveling 30 mph; he's thrown off a cliff; he's pulverized by a 300-pound log; and he's beaten by burly bikers with baseball bats. Incredibly, the armor withstands each test.
Unlike Treadwell in "Grizzly Man," Hurtubise has more respect than love for his subjects. Though he says he won't carry a gun to defend himself, his support crew is armed. Just in case, though, Hurtubise carries two large knives.
Project Grizzly is a comic documentary with many scenes that beg to be watched again and again. But it lacks a big pay off -- there's no show down between man and bear. I tell you this so you won't experience the disappointment I did. Perhaps a better title would have been "Project Grizzly Armor."
Send questions and comments to Dr. Scott Shalaway, R.D. 5, Cameron, W.Va. 26033 or via e-mail to sshalaway@aol.com