When I saw that the bears in question are black bears, I was like "well it wasn't them". But I wikipedia'd it to check and black bears have actually killed people. Very rare, seems mostly like when they're absolutely literally starving. Thought it was interesting that mothers are not as protective of their cubs as other bears. Also black bears are so attached to their home territories that relocation doesn't tend to work but they aren't very territorial in the "get off my lawn" sense.
Bear hunting isn't legal in my state so the whole concept of hunting black bears of all creatures is pretty weird to me. They're like giant raccoons (and way less frightening than actual giant raccoons would be, jeez can you imagine)
I don't think that's a fair comparison to make. Treadwell was a narcissist, for one thing, and I don't mean in the catchy internet way, but like, a real one. This woman seems like she was just unwell tbh, and she was also protecting these bears from a load of actual real poaching, as opposed to Treadwell, who was camping on protected lands around a bunch of bears that only got hurt when he forced the rangers to shoot them after they attacked and ate him and Amy.
Did she also do some harm by acclimating them to humans? Yeah probably. But she had real reasons to feel they were in danger too, because they actually were. And it sounds like the bears probably did not kill her, though they or some other wildlife did eat her once she was deceased.
Not disputed. See: my comment. The point was only that she's a much different case from Treadwell's. Who wasn't feeding the bears, until, you know, suddenly he was.
Well, it seems like by drawing the bears to her she was setting them up for the bear hunters.
I understand her desire to be close to them, but it was somewhat selfish. The bears needed to be away from hunters, but hunters were drawn to her land.
> Well, it seems like by drawing the bears to her she was setting them up for the bear hunters.
The article states she thought they came to her for safety from the hunters and I am keen to believe that considering the majority didn't die until she spent 30 days in jail and Crockett and co killed them
She may have thought that, but I do think it's worth keeping in mind that she was mentally unwell, at least by the end. What's more likely to have kept them safe was the fact that they were on private land that was harder to get to. I doubt the bears themselves recognised they were safer with her.
Not to mention that while I’d keep my distance from either, you can hardly compare a North American black bear to a grizzly, like comparing bees to hornets.
feugh_ | 23 hours ago
Thanks so much for sharing this - great read. What a piece of shit monster Crockett is.
candidu66 | 22 hours ago
I'd watch a movie about her life for sure.
cookietango | 22 hours ago
The poachers were evil
baethan | 9 hours ago
When I saw that the bears in question are black bears, I was like "well it wasn't them". But I wikipedia'd it to check and black bears have actually killed people. Very rare, seems mostly like when they're absolutely literally starving. Thought it was interesting that mothers are not as protective of their cubs as other bears. Also black bears are so attached to their home territories that relocation doesn't tend to work but they aren't very territorial in the "get off my lawn" sense.
Bear hunting isn't legal in my state so the whole concept of hunting black bears of all creatures is pretty weird to me. They're like giant raccoons (and way less frightening than actual giant raccoons would be, jeez can you imagine)
WagerWilly | 22 hours ago
I’ll read the article tonight and I’m sure it’s going to be great, but the title here made me laugh
latswipe | 19 hours ago
[is it because you're thinking of Engel's Bear?] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_(novel))
InnerKookaburra | 15 hours ago
Couldn't help but think of Timothy Treadwell and the documentary Grizzly Man.
I appreciate the compassion both of these people have for animals, but I do not think it's good for humans or bears to interact like this.
atomicsnark | 11 hours ago
I don't think that's a fair comparison to make. Treadwell was a narcissist, for one thing, and I don't mean in the catchy internet way, but like, a real one. This woman seems like she was just unwell tbh, and she was also protecting these bears from a load of actual real poaching, as opposed to Treadwell, who was camping on protected lands around a bunch of bears that only got hurt when he forced the rangers to shoot them after they attacked and ate him and Amy.
Did she also do some harm by acclimating them to humans? Yeah probably. But she had real reasons to feel they were in danger too, because they actually were. And it sounds like the bears probably did not kill her, though they or some other wildlife did eat her once she was deceased.
InnerKookaburra | 4 hours ago
People who feed bears always tell themselves they are helping them. They create stories about the good they are doing...that simply aren't true.
atomicsnark | 4 hours ago
Not disputed. See: my comment. The point was only that she's a much different case from Treadwell's. Who wasn't feeding the bears, until, you know, suddenly he was.
> Did she also cause harm? Yeah.
tillandsia | 9 hours ago
Well, it seems like by drawing the bears to her she was setting them up for the bear hunters.
I understand her desire to be close to them, but it was somewhat selfish. The bears needed to be away from hunters, but hunters were drawn to her land.
Hokuboku | 5 hours ago
> Well, it seems like by drawing the bears to her she was setting them up for the bear hunters.
The article states she thought they came to her for safety from the hunters and I am keen to believe that considering the majority didn't die until she spent 30 days in jail and Crockett and co killed them
Quouar | 3 hours ago
She may have thought that, but I do think it's worth keeping in mind that she was mentally unwell, at least by the end. What's more likely to have kept them safe was the fact that they were on private land that was harder to get to. I doubt the bears themselves recognised they were safer with her.
Hokuboku | an hour ago
Oh, I don't mean to say the bears saw her specifically as a protector but, yeah, the private land.
Her being there and feeding them attracted them to the private land where they couldn't be hunted.
Second she was gone then the poachers had free reign and the bears probably ventured to less safe areas
atomicsnark | 4 hours ago
Hunters would have been there already anyway. It's a heavily hunted area for Black Bear. I'm from nearby.
I agreed already that feeding the bears was also causing harm.
throw20190820202020 | an hour ago
Not to mention that while I’d keep my distance from either, you can hardly compare a North American black bear to a grizzly, like comparing bees to hornets.