Hiker photographs bear just before fatal grizzly attack

Doomsday101

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(CNN) -- A southern California man killed by a grizzly bear in Alaska's backcountry was shooting photos of the animal that killed him just moments before the attack, a National Park Service official said Sunday.

The bear that killed Richard White, 49, was still with his body when rangers found him in Denali National Park on Saturday, the official said.

The San Diego resident had been backpacking alone for three nights when he was mauled to death by the bear, according to a park service statement.

Photographs found in his camera revealed that White was watching the bear for at least eight minutes near a river before the attack.

"The bear was generally unaware that he was there until the last couple of shots, then his attention turned," park spokeswoman Maureen McLaughlin said.

The photographs "are not that demonstrative" and show "nothing graphic, or any showing major signs of aggression," McLaughlin said. "We're not sure what happened after the camera was put down."

State troopers, park rangers and wildlife biologists, using the photos to identify the "large male bear," shot and killed the animal as it was still "defending the kill site along the Toklat River as the recovery team attempted to reach White's remains," the park service said.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/26/us/alaska-bear-attack/index.html?hpt=hp_bn1
 
Stupid, can't believe anyone would stand there taking photos that close to a Grizzly. That Bear sees you as food nothing more.
 
A kid I used to play with as a kid was killed and eaten by a bear. His Dad found his body. Just his head and left shoulder.

I have never understood why people get so close to a wild animal that can kill you.
 
Doomsday101;4688481 said:
Stupid, can't believe anyone would stand there taking photos that close to a Grizzly. That Bear sees you as food nothing more.

Sounds like the guy is responsible for his own death.

Someone on the radio was talking about it this morning and said they had not had a person killed by a bear in that area for around a 100 years.

Also said something along the lines that people have to take some kind of class or read something that outlined the do's and don'ts and that this type of thing was covered in them.

Don't know if the radio guys were just hearing stuff or what but I would imagine that there is some truth to what they were saying.
 
I would not go into the woods alone where bears or any other aggressive / protective animals live. If I were going into a place like that, there would be at least two of us and both would have shotguns and I would shoot any animal that came within 50 feet of me or shows aggression toward me within 100 feet.
 
BrAinPaiNt;4688494 said:
Sounds like the guy is responsible for his own death.

Someone on the radio was talking about it this morning and said they had not had a person killed by a bear in that area for around a 100 years.

Also said something along the lines that people have to take some kind of class or read something that outlined the do's and don'ts and that this type of thing was covered in them.

Don't know if the radio guys were just hearing stuff or what but I would imagine that there is some truth to what they were saying.

I read the same thing. In order to go hiking into the back country you are suppose to attend a class and get a permit. It is truely some wild country in Alaska. Evidently he was pretty close to the Bear he was taking photo of, hard to believe since these animals can get up to 35 mph so the notion you can out run them is far fetched, he will catch you and he will kill you with ease. He is a Bear he does not know any better we are just food in his eyes
 
Doomsday101;4688481 said:
Stupid, can't believe anyone would stand there taking photos that close to a Grizzly.

That Bear sees you as food nothing more.
Totally stupid!!!

I mean, if you're gonna hike in the wild, armed with only a camera, at least take a hiking buddy along with you who can put a trained weapon (of appropriate caliber to do the job) on the carnivore-of-opportunity you want to photograph. SMH.

Another example of thinning the dumbest of the herd. Nature's way.
 
wittenacious;4688550 said:
Totally stupid!!!

I mean, if you're gonna hike in the wild, armed with only a camera, at least take a hiking buddy along with you who can put a trained weapon (of appropriate caliber to do the job) on the carnivore of choice you want to photograph. SMH.

Another example of thinning the dumbest of the herd. Nature's way.

Or at least a hiking buddy you know you can out run. :laugh2:

It is hard to know what is going on in the minds of some people.
 
The worst part is the Grizzly gets killed because of this guys stupidity.
 
What's crazy is a bear can climb a tree faster than any human, so there's really no escape. I don't think I respect any wild animal any more than a bear. Maybe a lion. haha.
 
Rynie;4688719 said:
What's crazy is a bear can climb a tree faster than any human, so there's really no escape. I don't think I respect any wild animal any more than a bear. Maybe a lion. haha.

You almost touched on what I preach about bears all of the time. You can't escape a bear. They swim, they run fast, and they climb trees like champs. In other words, you're screwed.
 
ConcordCowboy;4688613 said:
The worst part is the Grizzly gets killed because of this guys stupidity.
True, but it is mostly because once they know you are a food, they will kill more humans.

I hate that the animal is punished for his ignorance.
 
a_minimalist;4688736 said:
You almost touched on what I preach about bears all of the time. You can't escape a bear. They swim, they run fast, and they climb trees like champs. In other words, you're screwed.
Exactly. They really are awesome specimens.
 
Grizzlies are very territorial, and see people as threats when surprised or protecting cubs. The only bets you have on getting away from one are by running down a sharp slope or swimming downstream. Lewis and Clark Expedition members (the first Americans to meet Grizzly Bears) generally used swimming tactics to escape.

One Grizzly expert strongly favored just standing still, calmly as possible. He'd used it successfully three times, with bears stopping their charges within five feet of him. He also freely acknowledged that if those tactics didn't work, you weren't go to be complaining to him about it.
 
Pshh.... bears.... All I need is a good one of these....

4_broom.jpg


This man took the class and had the bear knowledge given to every hikers going into the park. You have to take it before you are given a permit. The permit states you have to move from bears as soon as they are encountered and keep at least .5 miles between you and them.

This man sat within 50 yrds of this bear and basically pressed the situation. There was also another bear involved. When our troopers showed up, there was this bear being aggressive and another sitting on the food.

One bear was destroyed and it was the bear on the pics and after loosening it's innards, they confirmed it was the mans killer bear.

Sad
 
Doomsday101;4688553 said:
Or at least a hiking buddy you know you can out run. :laugh2:
Even better. :lmao:

It is hard to know what is going on in the minds of some people.
I think they must think they're lookin' at friendly ole Smokey Bear. And "Smokey" is lookin' at them like they're a fire that needs to be extinguished... immediately!
 

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