Sad Encounter

Call it courage, call it presence of mind, whatever it is that prompted a woman camper to take the action she did take, it saved her life. Who among us would not freeze with fear by the very torment of the impression that we have met our end? And yet fearful, fighting back, struggling to surmount the certainty of losing our lives. This woman, however, a dedicated camper who has doubtless read more than her share of outback tips to survival reasoned that the animal that was attacking her would lose interest if she feigned death.

Alone in her tent, her husband sleeping elsewhere, Deb Freele, visiting Montana's Gallatin Forest, sleeping over at the Soda Butte Campground, could hardly have imagined that there - in a place that was so heavily frequented by nature-lovers and tourists, and where there were plentiful tents with people within fast asleep - she would have a life-altering experience. One that came very close to altering her existence completely to non-existence.

The woman from London, Ontario was fast asleep as were other campers, when in the early morning hours a female grizzly entered her tent and clamped its teeth on her arm. When she screamed and attempted resistance, the bear simply clamped down harder. "I went completely limp like a rag doll. and after a few seconds [the bear] loosened [its] grip and [it] left", she explained later.

Now that represents a steely-minded resolve, to force yourself to play dead while a ferocious wild animal which recognizes no natural enemies - other than humankind which attempts to avoid its presence - is determinedly in the process of chewing through your arm. Try to even imagine the scenario; the odour of the animal, its immense presence, the existential threat, and your mind clouds with incredulity.

She was a fortunate one among the campers. Another camper, a young man, was also attacked. And another young man, 25 years of age, was killed by the same bear's relentless attack as it dragged him from his tent. Ms. Freele survived the attack because throughout years of camping she had experienced previous bear encounters. None of which had been sufficiently belligerent to lead to an attack.

She has undergone surgery to repair her broken arm, and she contends that this experience will not deter her from a beloved recreational activity that brings her close to nature. "I will continue to camp. I don't think it will stop me." The suspected grizzly was captured, and forensic tests were done to ensure that this was indeed the bear that had killed one man and injured another two campers.

With verification that this female bear was the one being sought, it was put down to ensure that no further such events would occur. Its three cubs were to be sent to a zoo. Wildlife authorities in Montana, in an tourist spot that sees millions of visitors a year visiting the wild and remote area, feel that the mother grizzly had taught her cubs to prey on humans. One of them ate part of the camper they had killed.

Unfortunate indeed that bears in their natural habitat, and preying on live targets as nature has endowed them with the skills required, sought prey that would result in an unforeseen and truly unfortunate tragedy; the death of a young man and the death of a wild animal. There are no guarantees in nature, however, that similar events will not occur.
This image provided by the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department on Friday shows a captured grizzly sow responsible for the mauling death of one camper and injuring two others near Yellowstone National Park in Montana. (Montana Fish, Wildlife