A New Definition of Human

Some people called Timothy Treadwell a madman, while at the same time, others respected him for his courage, selflessness, and his love for nature. He found that his purpose was not to further his own success in life, but to protect the Grizzly bears of Alaska that were threatened by the humans that disturbed them in their natural sacred space. He found that the best way to do this was to live in the wilderness with the bears each summer. Many would argue his intentions were good but his means were reckless. Being human for Treadwell was making a connection to nature by sharing the sacred space of the Alaskan wilderness. 

In the modern day and age, most humans would not view being human as embracing the natural world and giving up the everyday grind that we all must live through. To Treadwell, being human was exactly the opposite of what most of us think. After years of being a severe alcoholic, he needed something to help him overcome the adversity facing him. Treadwell discovered his true passion in life when he first went to Alaska and encountered the indigenous Grizzlies there. He felt that the bears were not monsters, but beautiful and majestic creatures that were actually victims of human poaching and development. Over thirteen summers, Treadwell not only learned a lot about true wilderness, but he learned a lot about himself and what he believed in. He lived in just a small weather-resistant tent surrounded by the bears, foxes, and birds, who he viewed as his friends. In what most humans would view as foreign and scary, Treadwell found a home in which he discovered true happiness.

Timothy Treadwell felt entirely at peace surrounded by the untouched wilderness that the Alaskan Grizzlies called home. He told his close friends that if he didn't survive the wild, he would be completely happy the way he led this world. And he did just that in his thirteenth summer in Alaska in 2003. Thats what human meant to Treadwell; being happy through his own eyes. He achieved this state by living amongst the most primitive and vicious creatures and sharing their home. This is how Treadwell found himself and his sacred space.