I was flipping through the free On Demand movie options at home the other day and came across the 2005 documentary Grizzly Man.  I had heard of it before, and knew the basic premise, but had never actually seen it. I’m a huge fan of documentaries so I figured I would give it a chance. It follows bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard, who were killed in October of 2003 while living among grizzlies in Alaska. It’s something Treadwill did every year for more than a decade, and most of the documentary is footage shot by Treadwell himself. The backdrop for the story is incredible, providing the viewer with breathtaking Alaskan landscapes, and up close encounters with some of mother nature’s largest, and most aggressive, creatures. To imagine someone spending their life, living among these wild creatures for months at a time, all alone, is fascinating in itself. It is probably the ultimate, most extreme outdoor adventure.

However, there is also sadness in the story. It’s obvious that Treadwell has issues with himself, and other people, so he looks to these grizzly bears to be his friends and family.  He lives with them, speaks to them, tries to control them, even touches them. It’s the ultimate tragic irony that one of the animals he loved so much, and worked so hard to protect, would ultimately take his life. But in the end, wild animals are simply that, wild. I found it very interesting, slightly disturbing at some points, but overall well worth the time.  I’ve posted the trailer below so you can have a sneak peek!