Browsing the web today, I found a great documentary about Charlie Vandergaw, who spent over twenty years living with wild black and grizzly bears at his remote Alaskan cabin - "The Man Who Lives With Bears". I really enjoyed the few insights into how he interacts and communicates with them rather than just showing us that he does. My only complaint is that's what I wanted more of.
I've spent all day trying unsuccessfully to download this, both to my hard drive and Real Player, so if anyone has any info on where I can get a hard copy (and where I can find "Stranger Among Bears", a mini-series about Charlie) please let me know. I would love to have this one!
You can watch it here: http://documentaryvideos.org/the-man-who-lives-with-bears/
I've spent all day trying unsuccessfully to download this, both to my hard drive and Real Player, so if anyone has any info on where I can get a hard copy (and where I can find "Stranger Among Bears", a mini-series about Charlie) please let me know. I would love to have this one!
You can watch it here: http://documentaryvideos.org/the-man-who-lives-with-bears/
They play the "Stranger Among Bears" mini-series on Animal Planet every now and again. It is four, 30 minute episodes. "Bitten" is the first episode. It is followed by, "Down the Barrel of a Gun", "The Grizzlies Are Coming" and "Feeding Controversy." It is a good show, but in my opinion this guy is a moron and is addicted to the euphoria he feels from being around such powerful predators (that could kill him any moment but haven't, not thus far at least). The minute these bears don't see his presence as a benefit to them but as an irritation or a threat, he'll have his name added to a long list of fools who aren't scientists, just a can of mixed nuts who get addicted to taking more and more wild from the bears and trying to replace it with bears who are no longer wary of humans. This guy needs to stop feeding wild bears. It is illegal, and threatens the bears very nature & health, and it causes more instances where a bear comes up to a human seeking food and either the bear gets shot and killed (if the human is armed & on top of their game), the bear attacks the human and maims or kills the human....and then gets tracked down by Fish and Game who put it down. I am not trying to be cruel, but please don't support an imbecile like Charlie Vandergaw. Don't support those who feed wild animals, (except where allowed, for example: feeding ducks at your local park's pond) feeding wild predators is extremely dangerous. It puts other people, children & wildlife in danger.
ReplyDeleteWhy would anyone feed a bear in Alaska of all
ReplyDeleteplaces? Leave the wild animals alone.
Feeding and changing the behavior of wild
animals is a selfish act.
Feeding them is fine in my book....especially if the man is gifted like Charlie.. IF you are a meathead..like most of the comments here...THEN, by all means -- do not feed the wildlife. BUT, Charlie has the gift from above..and should be left alone. You negative comments are no doubt from CA -- NY..NJ..places with more horses butts than Horses... Carry on..
ReplyDeleteI agree wholeheartedly. And for those of you who agree with the uneducated views of these other posts, I suggest that you Google the North American Black Bear Research Center at "bear.org" and read the article under "bear facts" entitled " Myths and Misconceptions" entitled "Myth: When bears lose their fear of people, they become more likely to attack". After over twelve years of interacting with black bears at my mountain solitude in British Columbia I came to the following conclusion: "Of all the things I found out, of all the things I later realized about my findings, nothing was more obvious than that the information I had picked up in my life about black bears was totally Incongruent with my observations over the twelve years".
DeleteEqually unhelpful was the completely erronious coverage of the situation by the media when the story hit the press. See "thebeardude.net" for my side of the story.
Thanks for supplying that info, Allen! Charlie Russell's incredible work with grizzlies in Kamchatka indicated something similar, that bears were more likely to attack due to fear than due to the lack of it. He could never have done that work in Yellowstone or Glacier where the bears are so heavily conditioned to fear man.
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DeleteAmen!!! What a blessing and gift he was given!!! What a wonderful experience :)) Love you and your bears, Charlie!! <3
DeleteAmen!!! What a blessing and gift he was give !!! What a wonderful experience :))
DeleteThe phrase "A fed bear is a dead bear" came about because of humans who thought the rules didn't apply to them because they knew what they were doing" Forget the dangers to Charlie or the bears. What about the backpacker who happens upon one of these bears who has come to view humans as a meal ticket? When the human reacts in a different way as their "friend" Charlie, someone is going to get hurt or killed. And, yes, I realize he lives in a remote area, but the sheer number of bears he was feeding means when Charlie dies there will be a bunch of human habituated bears dirpersing in different directions expecting every human they encounter to feed them. It's selfish and reckless endangerment of both bear and human safety.
ReplyDeleteThe phrase "A fed bear is a dead bear" is a dogmatic falsity perpetuated by the authorities. One of those self full filling prophesies that they keep fulfilling to cover their asses. I fed and successfully weened 24 black bears at my remote British Columbia residence and still the authorities spread the falsehood that they had killed these bears. See "thebeardude.net" for the beginning of my side of the story. Unfortunately I have a long way to go to complete my side. Stay tuned, my house burned down with all I had written so far and I'm trying to catch up.
DeleteI saw the original documentary, it was beautiful and shared the truth of his life with these amazing bears. Then the public got a hold of it and blew it all out of proportion. Charlie's life has nver been the same. It taught me not to share something that comes along and is good. Once the public finds out say good bye to it. People went to his land to hunt them after they found out. Charlie lived for 20 plus years with them in harmony. He naed them all and they brought their cubs for him to see and touch ... I wam still inspired by his story. I think he is an amzing person.
ReplyDelete