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The Myth of Timothy
Treadwell
by John Rogers;
Katmai Coastal Bear Tours
Timothy Treadwell’s death in 2003 has led to the production of
two books, two movies... and a lot of speculation(1).
Nonetheless, only two facts have been established
beyond question: first, that along with Timothy, Amie Huguenard
was also killed, as well as
two bears; second, that no-one really knew
Timothy Treadwell or understood what he was trying to achieve
through his life with the bears along the coast of Katmai National
Park(2).
It is well known that Timothy Treadwell was an aspiring actor who
worked as a waiter and bartender with problems of drug addiction and
alcoholism in California. However, during the summer of 1989, he
underwent a transformation so sudden and remarkable that it allowed
him to survive thirteen summers of camping with brown bears before
being killed and consumed by them. During this time, the world got
to know Treadwell as the bear-man, the educator of children about
bears, the author and film-maker, the actor and con-artist...
My observations might give some insight into his aspirations with
the bears. I believe Timothy's main ambition was acting and
film-making. Surviving his first summer amongst Alaska’s brown bears
not only gave him a reason to live, it also provided him with an
idea – this is how he would fund what he really wished to do; if he
succeeded in making people believe these bears needed his
protection, he would get the acknowledgment, the equipment and the
economic support he needed to fuel his desire.
Additionally, there was, in my opinion, a deeper and more
personal side to Timothy’s love affair with the bears. The latest
movie, Grizzly Man, shows Timothy Treadwell as a lost soul,
shy and insecure about his sexuality, an introvert,
effeminate-mannered young man constantly seeking some form of
recognition. This, he got from the bears, and so he found himself
insatiably repeating the experience time and time again. The bears
didn’t need his protection; he, however, craved for their tolerance
and acceptance. Grizzly Man shows a Timothy Treadwell who is
passionate about the bears. I’d say Timothy cared about them as much
as any bear enthusiast or commercial operator along the coast of
Katmai, but this was second place to his own fascination about
himself as a so-called “bear-whisperer”.
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(1) Two books have been published. One of them is The
Grizzly Maze, by Nick Jans. The author is an Alaskan writer,
understands bears, and is friends with Joel Bennett, who had insight
into Timothy’s life from working with him filming bears along the
Katmai coast. The other book, Death in the Grizzly Maze, by Mike
Lapinski, is also informative. A documentary, Deadly Passion,
by Stefan Quinth, is quite enlightening, although the ending shows
poor taste, with the killing of a small young bear. The movie,
Grizzly Man, was directed by Werner Herzog and co-produced by Jewel
Palovak, Timothy’s friend and business partner. I enjoyed the movie,
and it helped to clarify some of my thoughts about Timothy. However,
I was disappointed, considering all the film footage and notes
available, plus the knowledge that Jewel Palovak must have about
Timothy Treadwell.
(2) Bear experts (Tom Smith, Lynn Rogers, Steve
Stringham, Matt Breiter) and bear viewing guides (Spike Christopher,
Buck Wilde, Brad Josephs, John Bartoline, Kent Fredriksson) had
occasional contact with Timothy Treadwell. Bill Sims, a
knowledgeable and experienced pilot and lodge owner in the Katmai
area, befriended Timothy from the beginning. He kept an eye on him,
assisting him on occasion. Willy Fulton, Andrew Airways pilot,
transported Timothy to and from Katmai. Timothy regularly sent
letters and made phone calls to known bear experts seeking
information, recognition and acceptance. I think it is fair to say
we all knew a different Timothy Treadwell, and that’s exactly what
he wanted.
Part 2 - My Relationship with
Timothy Treadwell
Part 3 - About the Attack & Final
Note
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