ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A hiker in Alaska's Denali National Park photographed a grizzly bear for at least eight minutes before the bear mauled and killed him in the first fatal attack in the park's history, officials said Saturday.
Investigators have recovered the camera and looked at the photographs, which show the bear grazing and not acting aggressively before the attack, Denali Park Superintendent Paul Anderson said.The hiker was backpacking alone along the Toklat River on Friday afternoon when he came within 50 yards of the bear, far closer than the quarter-mile of separation required by park rules, officials said.
"They show the bear grazing in the willows, not acting aggressive in any form or manner during that period of time," Anderson said.
Investigators have identified the man but won't release his name until they've notified his family. They said he's a U.S. citizen but declined to release any other information about him. Rangers were hoping to recover his remains later Saturday after ensuring the scene was safe. Several other bears have been seen in the area.
Officials learned of the attack after hikers stumbled upon an abandoned backpack along the river about three miles from a rest area on Friday afternoon. The hikers also spotted torn clothing and blood. They immediately hiked back and alerted staff park.
Rangers in a helicopter spotted a large male grizzly bear sitting on the hiker's remains, which they called a "food cache" in the underbrush about 100 to 150 yards from the site of the attack on Friday. A state trooper shot and killed the bear on Saturday, and investigators will examine its stomach contents and use other tests to confirm it's the animal that killed the hiker.
There's no indication that the man's death was the result of anything other than a bear attack, investigators said, adding that it's the first known fatal mauling in the park's nearly century-long history.
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I generally try to keep a healthy distance from shit that can eat me. But that's just me.....
Darwin award winner! Did this idiot live in a cave isolated from the rest of the world his whole life? Who the fuck doesn't get it that Grizzly bears can and will kill you if you get close to them. How many dumb bastards will it take getting shredded like this to prove what's been proven hundreds of times in the past? I don't care where you're from, what part of the earth you've spent your life, or what language you speak, everyone knows not to fuck with Grizzlies, or any other bear for that matter.
ReplyDeleteMy money says this guy, besides being a dumb son of a bitch, was at least one of the following:
1. Card-carrying libturd
2. Toyota Prius owner
3. Against drilling in ANWR
4. AGW pusher
5. Vegetarian (too bad for him the bear wasn't)
6. Rabid anti-gunner
7. 99%'er
Well, you get the idea. The guy obviously wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed and he was missing a crucial part of survival called common sense. Everyone knows not to invade the space of a grizzly bear don't they? Especially in it's natural habitat?
This poor bastard died what must be a terrifying and painful death, but that's not the sad part.
Why did they have to kill the fuckin' bear?
And he will forever more be known as Food Cache Johnson.
ReplyDeleteUhh, I guess you know this is the same type of fool currently trying to run the country. ( please see below photo A-R lower receiver). Mother nature's a bitch .
ReplyDeleteSo they killed the bear??? What the fuck. They should have let him finish off the hiker and left him alone.
ReplyDeleteOne less idiot in the gene pool. At least he didn't take a wife/girlfriend with him. Kind of ironic though; nature lover kills bear through stupidity...
ReplyDeleteOh well... one less vote for obama.
I hope he at least had the balls to keep taking pics during the mauling. I bet those are some great close-ups.
ReplyDelete'The hikers also spotted torn clothing and blood. They immediately hiked back and alerted staff park.'
ReplyDeleteIs it just me and my way of thinking or does anyone else think they would have stayed a bit, made a lot of noise, had bear spray at the ready (gun too if allowed in the park) and at least called out to see if there was anyone alive who needed help before hiking away to get the rangers.
All the best,
Glenn B
Hopefully theres a special place for dumbasses like him and Treadwell
ReplyDeleteI guarandamntee that he was a tree hugger who actually believed he was safe because he and the bear were "brothers".....
ReplyDeleteHe was a fucking idiot. One of those green wienies that think they are natures guardians and nature turned around and bit his ass. These kind of dip shits should not be allowed into the parks to wander around like a dieing calf in a fucking hail storm
ReplyDeleteToo bad the bear had to die just because it was doing it's natural thing. The park is for the animals
not for busybody dickweeds.
The bear is grazing, so the hiker walks up to him and stands there taking pictures.
ReplyDeleteSort of like bringing a steak out and putting it on the table while someone is eating a salad; what did he think would happen?
That's it, blame the bear for this moron's lack of common sense.
ReplyDeleteBear 1 -- Paparazzi 0
ReplyDeleteBears are NOT cuddly...
ReplyDeleteTourists who come up here mostly fall into two types; those who think there's a bear behind every bush waiting to kill them and those who think Alaska's perfectly safe-just like home. Both are wrong. Alaska will kill you if you don't pay attention.
ReplyDeleteWe also kill the critters that kill people, as a matter of course, so they don't kill more people.
JFM
"The National Park Rangers are advising hikers in Glacier National Park and other Rocky Mountain parks to be alert for bears and take extra precautions to avoid an encounter.
ReplyDeleteThey advise park visitors to wear little bells on their clothes so they make noise when hiking. The bell noise allows bears to hear them coming from a distance and not be startled by a hiker accidentally sneaking up on them. This might cause a bear to charge.
Visitors should also carry a pepper spray can just in case a bear is encountered. Spraying the pepper into the air will irritate the bear's sensitive nose and it will run away.
It is also a good idea to keep an eye out for fresh bear scat so you have an idea if bears are in the area. People should be able to recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear scat.
Black bear droppings are smaller and often contain berries, leaves, and possibly bits of fur. Grizzly bear droppings tend to contain small bells and smell of pepper."
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
ReplyDeleteI hope the idiot didn't breed before self-eliminating.
You guys are so insensitive...Bears don't have giant warning labels on them like "DANGER - Sharp Teeth and Hungry". My coffee cup tells me "CAUTION - It's hot" Good thing too because I expect coffee to be cold. I hope you can pick up the sarcasm here.
ReplyDeleteThis just proves that you can't fix stupid.
ReplyDeleteHowever, at least in the bears case, you CAN have it for lunch.