Did Timothy Treadwell Exploit or Pave the Way for Bear Research?

Craig Medred’s story on bear man Timothy Treadwell (“Man, Martyr, Myth,” Dec. 14) proves what I suspected all along. Treadwell was simply another entry on a long list of those who participate in animal exploitation. The prostitution of wildlife for human gain is a risky venture. Just ask a certain Las Vegas wild animal “handler.”

Leighanne Payne

Pasadena

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Treadwell may have had, in part, a storied past, but as recent history dictates, it was in preparation for what was to become an illustrious legacy. Every man is drawn to accomplish one great thing in his lifetime. Treadwell, a hero in every sense of the word, championed the effort to maintain the habitat and continued survival of the grizzly bear. He willingly sacrificed life and limb in an environment that leaves many scientists and animal “experts” amazed and in awe.

To dig into the past of this colorful activist to understand his motivations is one thing; to use this information to condemn his character is another. Let’s not write Treadwell’s “last chapter” but instead pick up from where he left off. This is not a time to ridicule; it’s a time to learn from his research and commend a unique human being who achieved the unimaginable.

Todd Felderstein

Los Angeles