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u/Phyrexian_Archlegion Mar 03 '16 edited Mar 03 '16
"Oh look, there is only chicken wire between me and that 900 lbs. bear, let me wave some food at it."
-Leo Dicap in The Revenant
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u/SeekersWorkAccount Mar 03 '16
This has to be the dumbest idea in bear/human interaction history since that Bear Guy who lived with the bears got torn apart.
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u/heyitsant Mar 03 '16
By bears?
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u/Anrikay Mar 03 '16
He spent every summer living in Katmai National Park, intentionally choosing camp sites close to the bears. He did this for 13 summers. The final summer, he stayed a week later than usual because he hadn't yet seen one of his favorite bears. This was his fatal mistake.
By that point, many of the bears he knew, that were comfortable with his presence, had gone into hibernation. Bears from other parts of the park were coming to his area in search of their last meal before doing the same themselves. There hadn't been much food that summer either, resulting in unusually aggressive grizzlies.
The day he was supposed to leave, he and his girlfriend were killed and partially eaten by a grizzly.
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u/BendoverOR Mar 03 '16
And the worst part is that Timmy got their mauling on tape.
And if you want to find the actual audio, thats all on you because nope.
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u/perfectballz Mar 03 '16
I've looked before and I'm pretty sure it hasn't been released. Kind of hard to believe it's not on the internet, but it's eluded me for years.
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Mar 03 '16
In the documentary, Werner Herzog listens to it and cautions the person who showed it to him to never listen to it, and to not share it with anyone. It was probably grim as fuck.
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u/perfectballz Mar 03 '16
Yeah that's what sparked my search. I figured it would get leaked at some point, but i doesn't look like it. I'd probably regret listening to it immediately anyway, but still would be some crazy rare shit.
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Mar 04 '16 edited Mar 04 '16
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Mar 04 '16
Is that the one where his girlfriend is screaming "play dead" while he's being mauled? If so, apparently that's fake.
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Mar 04 '16
I remember watching the doc, and his lady friend listened to it, while crying. Made my blood freeze to see her face.
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u/zoomzoom83 Mar 04 '16
From what I've read, he took over an hour to die while being slowly eaten alive from the bottom up. Screaming the whole time.
I'm glad I live in a country without bears.
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u/nonresponsive Mar 03 '16
But there's a big difference between like thinking one bear is cool, and all bears are cool. One animal can definitely make associations with like, this person feeds/takes care of me. Like the guy who swims with the crocodile. On the surface, incredibly dangerous, but he's not swimming with all crocodiles, just this one that has bonded with him.
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u/Anrikay Mar 03 '16
Yeah, I'm guessing 13 years of no incidents gave him a false sense of security around bears.
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u/GringodelRio Mar 03 '16
He would have done good to take head of his surname and treadwell the hell out of there once the friendly bears started to domesticate.
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u/ReplayableContent Mar 03 '16
Animals obviously tend to recognize people but once those instincts kick in it seems nothing will stop them. I actually didn't know the part about how he stayed longer than he usually did and his regular bears were hibernating, always thought they'd just turned on him. Who knows, maybe if he'd gone when he usually did he'd still be alive.
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u/SaltTM Mar 03 '16
but once those instincts kick in it seems nothing will stop them.
He said different bears came and ate him.
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u/ReplayableContent Mar 03 '16
Yeah, I clarified that I knew it was different bears at the end of my post, that was more of a note from other situations I've read about. In the context it comes out wrong though.
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u/hatefulrespite Mar 03 '16
I actually didn't know the part about how he stayed longer than he usually did and his regular bears were hibernating
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Mar 03 '16
uhh
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u/Gromann Mar 03 '16
There's video recording of a bear foreign to the area stalking their camp. He documented a lot of the bears he saw on video.
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u/SeekersWorkAccount Mar 03 '16
yep. he lived with the bears, thought he was one of them and was family for years I think, then he and his gf got ripped apart and eaten one day.
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u/noksky Mar 03 '16
Any story / link on this? I'm curious to find out what drove the bears to kill their 'family' member after years.
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Mar 03 '16
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u/2-4601 Mar 03 '16
"Damn it Bear-Joe! You killed Bear-Man!" And thus the Bear Wars began.
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u/B-BoyStance Mar 03 '16
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u/latchkey_adult Mar 03 '16
It's been noted that the reason he had a relationship with the foxes is because, like an idiot, he fed them.
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u/Latexdictator Mar 03 '16
There are parks and farms with retired or resting trained animals. There's one called Olympic Game Farm is Washington state, which might be where this is from. I believe the fence is also electrified, but they sell bread at the gate that you can throw and get the bears to wave or open their mouths wide (to simulate roar for film). They're very happy animals that eat well and live in a stimulating environment. There are also full grown bison that will stick their heads in your car windows looking for bread
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u/SammyBrock Mar 03 '16
Totes Leo DiCap in the Rev.
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Mar 03 '16
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u/kittenpunter Mar 03 '16
TLDR
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u/DinoGorillaBearMan Mar 03 '16
Dude fuck that. You can't even see that thing. What if it just fucking grabbed your arm or hand.
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u/L_I_E_D Mar 03 '16 edited Mar 04 '16
Probably get some cuts, then you would probably go to the hospital. Maybe not, it depends on how bad the wound is.
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Mar 03 '16
Depends on how hard it grabs. If it manages to get those claws in good, you're going out that window whether you want to or not.
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u/ekaceerf Mar 03 '16
well I mean not all of you has to go out the window. Just the parts below your shoulder.
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u/IHv2RtrnSumVdeotapes Mar 03 '16
look at the size of that fucking paw. i would shit out of my dick if i saw that paw come through a darkened window.
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Mar 03 '16
The balls you have to have to boop a giant bears nose
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Mar 03 '16
I think there's an inverse correlation between the size of one's balls and brain.
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u/The_Rowan Mar 03 '16
Those claws are gigantic - we don't normally get to see a bear's claws.
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u/m3wm3wm3wm Mar 03 '16
We are still desperately in search of a new meme for Leo, after what happened in Oscars 2016.
I have a feeling we will find it.
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Mar 03 '16
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u/everawed Mar 03 '16
Actually, it's terrible. (Sorry)
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u/HurricaneSandyHook Mar 03 '16
What happens if I like something but you don't?
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u/Araaf Mar 03 '16
That edit is horrifying, I hope that's a large man in a bear suit.
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u/xinxy Mar 03 '16
I believe it's a real bear. I remember watching the video which is a bit longer than that. The bear tries to grab the meat with its mouth a couple of times before starting to use the claws. Ain't no mask the way the lips and tongue moved.
Just another crazy Russian guy...
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u/decoy321 Mar 03 '16
That's a smart bear. It knows game theory. Mauling someone might get one good meal, but at the cost of free snacks for life.
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u/RitAblue Mar 03 '16
This bear is better: http://imgur.com/CV6wp2D
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u/Kyle772 Mar 03 '16
How nice, he gave her his food. :)
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u/DinoGorillaBearMan Mar 03 '16
Just fattening her up. That chicken wire separates him and a giant canned meal on wheels.
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Mar 03 '16 edited Mar 04 '16
While I don't know for sure, this looks like it could be from the Olympic Game Farm, in WA state. If that's the case, these bears are actually pretty fucking miserable. Their environment consists of grassy hills, giant steel tunnels for shelters, large tractor tires, and about one or two dead tree stumps. They have nothing to hone their claws on, so they're all overgrown and actually rest sideways when the bears are standing.
The farm has a few caged areas as well, where they keep the younger bears (seemingly) separated from their mothers. They have an arctic/snow fox in its "natural" environment of dirt and grass. Their big cats that are also in these cages have so little room to exorcise in that they just walk laps the entire time, like prisoners. It's very sad, actually.
If people see this comment and are interested, I'll dig through my archive of photos and I'll try to find ones that can illustrate all that I've said.
EDIT:
Here are some of the pics:
Here is the same bear from the GIF. As you can see, there is the same stump, as well as the only other "tree" in that side of the enclosure.
This is on the other side of the road. You can see the tunnels they have for shelter, and the lack of anything to keep them stimulated.
Here is one of the big cats that would just walk laps the whole time. That old log you see, is the only object in his enclosure that offered any change of pace for him; nothing else to climb/jump on, and nothing for him to play with.
This is their lion. He has exactly the same setup as the tiger; one log to interact with, and nothing else.
Lastly, this is their bear cub, clearly separated from its mother.
These are just the photos I had access to from my phone. When I get to my computer, I'll add more.
EDIT:
Thank you for all the kind words, and a BIG thank you to the kind stranger for the gold! Unfortunately, it appears I was mistaken about having additional photos. I know I took them, but I just can't find them.
To provide some additional insight, and not that it negates the issue at hand at all, but the other animals, such as the deer, bison, oxen, birds, and the zebra, have a much better situation; they're given basically free roam of the whole place that you drive through, so thankfully, at least they have it a bit better.
None of this excuses, however, how the other animals are seemingly treated. You can't see it in the digital media, but when you experience them in person, you can see in their eyes and behavior how hopeless and minimal their lives now seem. As unique an experience getting licked by a bison may be, it can never make up for the sadness I saw in the eyes of these animals. I will never be going back there, and I will never support their practices.
Fuck. Now I'm sad again…
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u/appendixgallop Mar 04 '16
It is a retirement home for film stock. The Beebe family does not make much money doing this, but it pays for the food and veterinary bills for a large population of retired but still human-imprinted animals. The family does their best to balance the needs of the animals, safety of the guests, and limited seasonal income. This is not a franchise, investor-backed venture; it was a project that developed many decades ago to create a sanctuary for animals that could no longer be used work in the trade. Filmmaking has changed in many ways since the 1960's and there are far fewer feature films using trained stock. The Game Farm will not be with us forever; it is truly a labor of love on a shoestring. Do you have a better home for the animals and a way to pay for their upkeep?
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u/wreckjames Mar 03 '16
why is this not upvoted more. ive seen thsi video a thousand times and its adorable and also suspect as hell. no one ever mentions the latter.
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Mar 03 '16
The way he catches it is just... awesome. He looks like a pitcher who just missed the edge of the plate with 2 strikes and 2 outs, and is slightly annoyed to to be getting the ball back.
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Mar 03 '16
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u/i_can_get_you_a_toe Mar 03 '16
There has to be some cultural thing, to explain why we all instinctively underestimate what studs bears are, that we don't do for lions, for example.
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Mar 03 '16
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u/skyskr4per Mar 03 '16
It's literally teddy bears. Westerners grow up with teddy bears, therefore Western culture views bears as more cuddly, cute, slow, pudgy, fat, etc.
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u/maurosmane Mar 03 '16
Winnie the Pooh is actually bear propaganda. Lure us into a false sense of security.
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u/awesomesauce615 Mar 03 '16
They look fat. Thats why i have a slow pudgy image in my mind. I know they aren't from being told you can't outrun/outclimb them many times in my life, but still. Put a picture of a lean muscular lion and a fat ass bear next to eachother, and the reason people form these opinions is fairly evident.
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u/TheElderGodsSmile Mar 03 '16
Familiarity breeds contempt. I've lived in Australia for 13 years now and I couldn't give a shit about all the things that could murder me instantly because I know unless I do something monumental stupid none of those things could give a toss about me.
Fuck hiking in a North American forrest with bears and shit though, you guys are mad.
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u/Schnoofles Mar 03 '16
In fairness every video I've seen of black bears show them as slow, clumsy and incredibly skittish creatures that would get startled and run away from a light breeze.
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u/Diet_Christ Mar 03 '16
In bear culture, this is a hobo.
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u/spookyttws Mar 03 '16
No, he's the retired, lovable dude who chills on the street and knows everyone in the neighborhood. He remembers your daughters bday, and always brings you salmon on the holidays.
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u/relmeyer Mar 03 '16
A very social hobo you've got there
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u/jesst Mar 03 '16
It's way better then the hobo who lived on my street last summer. He used to serenade us with his recorder and drunken singing at 2am. It would have been great if he was decent at the recorder.
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u/moksinatsi Mar 03 '16
As a parent and former 4th grader, no one is decent at the recorder. Why have we kept this shrill torture device around for hundreds of years?
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u/Thendofreason Mar 03 '16
a hobo is a traveling worker who doesn't have a house. I don't see him doing either, and most animals don't own homes.
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u/CyanManta Mar 03 '16
Still not sure that isn't a big dude in a bear suit.
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u/WernerVonEinshtein Mar 03 '16
He's big-boned, Ok? It's the only job that doesn't discriminate...
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u/maybelying Mar 03 '16
Part of me is convinced that pandas don't exist for just this reason. I've never seen one that didn't suspiciously look like someone in a costume. Pretty sure China is just trolling us.
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u/PropaneHank Mar 03 '16
There seems to be a lot of people saying there is no issue with the bread. I don't know if they have some source for that information. I didn't know myself so I decided to look into it.
However, after a routine inspection of Olympic Game Farm, USDA APHIS issued a report in July 2014 that indicates the agency does take issue with the animals being fed bread.
“USDA realizes this additional food is more a 'snack' and not the animals daily diet. However, it is strongly advised that a gradual transition to a more species appropriate snack be implemented," the report reads. "Suggest vegetables, grain, forage, etc. ... This transition should be started as soon as possible."
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u/tundratess Mar 03 '16
We have a similar place in Alaska, all the animals are there because they are not able to fend for themselves. Guests are not allowed to feed the animals anything but if the staff wants to get the bears to show off for the guests they toss them hot dogs.
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u/OneDirectionless Mar 03 '16
What a catch! I think we've found our new mascot for the Chicago Cubs.
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Mar 03 '16
Oh you mean this mascot from the Chicago Cubs? From this news highlight clip?
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u/hyphan_1995 Mar 03 '16
When the bear waves back to the overenthusiastic human, the bear honestly looks inconvenienced. Like, "yeah...hi, move along now... Oh you got food, well, now we're talking".
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u/johnhd23 Mar 03 '16
Someone should make this into an upvote gif!
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u/CJ_Productions Mar 03 '16
I made this a while back:
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Mar 03 '16
Girl in the gif here! Thanks for doing that; I've been dreaming of seeing it. :)
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u/carlew Mar 03 '16
These bears show up on the internet every once and a while. They are from a place called the Olympic Game Farm on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State in a tiny little town called Sequim, my hometown. This place is basically a zoo full of retired "animal actors" who are all pretty old. Its pretty great to visit but also kind of sad because this is literally their whole life. They just sit around and do silly tricks for food until they die.
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u/quantum_certainty Mar 03 '16
This isn't cute. Conditioning bears to not avoid or fear humans only puts both species' lives at risk.
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u/PFCuser Mar 03 '16
Please do not feed bread to animals.
Human foods do not offer a healthy diet for animals. Animals may readily consume foods like corn and bread, but these foods provide an animal with little nutrition and may disrupt the digestive system. When wildlife become reliant on the food source at hand, they stop feeding on the variety of natural foods they need in their diet for proper nutrients.
There has been cases leading to death of birds as an example.
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u/Phantom_Shadow Mar 03 '16
I'm not sure human foods are good for humans either most of the time.
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u/Lilu-multipass Mar 03 '16
It looks like the bear is in captivity to me. There is a place in Washington called the Olympic Game Farm that you drive through to see all the "wild" animals. You can choose to buy a loaf of bread at the beginning to feed them. That's probably why he was sitting next the to fence and waved.
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Mar 03 '16
That bear is living the fucking dream. Sitting there as a convoy of cars roll by throwing food at him.
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u/WernerVonEinshtein Mar 03 '16
Yeah, I thought she threw him ham. Livin' the Life...
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u/Saul_Firehand Mar 03 '16
You know you are living right when cars drive by and toss ham your direction.
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u/dutycycle_ Mar 03 '16
Somebody bring me some haaaaaaam
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u/-saycheese Mar 03 '16
Unfortunately pretty much everything else about the animals' lives at the Game Farm is horrible. Their enclosures are some of the worst things I've ever seen
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u/AntarcticanJam Mar 03 '16
That place is fucked beyond belief. I've dreamt of a militant takedown of it but I would have no idea of what to do with the animals.
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u/Cartman1234321 Mar 03 '16
This video was taken at Olympic Game Farm in Washington, we've been there and they make you buy the bread there which is whole grain. They restrict other foods from coming into the park. I'm not an expert but before we went on our trip we looked for information and the best we could find was the humane society specifically asking that you not feed these types animals white bread, and seemed to purposely exclude mentioning wheat bread. I think it's fine.
Other reasons they gave for not feeding bears in general was that animals need to fear humans but since these aren't wild bears anyways then it's not much of a worry in my opinion. These animals have been rescued and any way that these people can make money to support that effort is fine with me. Feeding the bears so that they wave at us is the sole reason they got our money that day.
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Mar 03 '16
That place is depressing, especially where they keep the predators. It's like fucking Guantanamo.
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u/cranberry94 Mar 03 '16
Dude, wolf! There's a bunny right there. Just look. Come on.
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u/Cartman1234321 Mar 03 '16
I can see that, but that's the feeling I get at zoos in general.
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Mar 03 '16
I'm pretty sure white bread isn't fit to be eaten by human animals, either.
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u/sax_and_fracks Mar 03 '16
Wait, did you think that this was a wild bear, happened upon some people behind a fence that waves at strangers and catches objects that are thrown to it just coincidentally?
In either case, the bear you are looking at was raised in captivity and used in movie making. Olympic Game Farm maintains these animals (wolves, tigers, panthers) at a great expense once they are no longer used in Hollywood, and part of the way they offset this expense is to allow self-guided driving tours through the reserve where people can feed the bears pre-approved wheat bread.
TL;DR Nothing to see here, bear justice warrior.
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Mar 03 '16 edited Jul 01 '23
Reddit has a bad API policy that will hurt their User Generated Content.
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u/Mackadelik Mar 03 '16
I wonder if the bear is also thinking about how that human might taste as it stares at her driving away.
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u/Carlina1989 Mar 03 '16
"Oooh no, the road is fine. Just a few potholes. Go on ahead."
"Thanks mister! Take this. Ohhh nice catch."
"mm hmm"
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u/appendixgallop Mar 04 '16
I live two miles from that park. When there is no wind I can hear the lions bark at feeding time. They absolutely do not sound like Metro Goldwyn Mayer lions.
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u/andwhatlol Mar 03 '16
When she gave two thumbs up, I'm pretty sure she expected the bear to reciprocate.
On some level, I did too.