ladbible homepage
ladbible homepage
  • iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK
    • US
    • World
    • Ireland
    • Australia
    • Science
    • Crime
    • Weather
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV
    • Film
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • Netflix
    • Disney
  • Sport
  • Technology
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Money
  • Originals
    • FFS PRODUCTIONS
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Archive
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content Here
  • SPORTbible
  • Tyla
  • GAMINGbible
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • FOODbible
  • UNILAD Tech
Chilling tape of 'Grizzly Man' who filmed himself being eaten alive by bear has only been played to one person

Home> News> Animals

Published 14:33 10 May 2025 GMT+1

Chilling tape of 'Grizzly Man' who filmed himself being eaten alive by bear has only been played to one person

'Grizzly man' Timothy Treadwell was the victim of a bear attack in 2003

Anish Vij

Anish Vij

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover

There's a reason why the disturbing 2003 tape of 'grizzly man' Timothy Treadwell has only been played to one person.

Treadwell, a bear enthusiast, was best known for documenting what it was like to live out in the wild with them in Alaska's Katmai National Park.

His obsession with bears started from a young age, as the New Yorker would head to Alaska on camping trips with his family, where he would casually go up to chat and play with them.

Years later, he made the decision to live with them every summer until his death in 2003.

Advert

Sadly, his desire to 'act like a bear' is what lead to his demise, as the United States Department of the Interior (DOI) confirmed that 'an adult male brown bear killed and ate Mr. Timothy Treadwell, 46, and Ms. Amy Huguenard, 37, at their campsite near a lake at the head of Kaflia Bay on the Pacific coast of Katmai National Park' on either 6 or 7 October 2003.

Werner Herzog released an emotional documentary about Treadwell's life back in 2005 titled Grizzly Man. You can check the trailer out below:

Jewel Palovak worked as an executive producer on Grizzly Man, and she has claimed that only one person has seen the tape of him being mauled to death by the bear.

"When we started production everyone involved, except for myself, wanted to use at least a bit of the audio tape in the movie," she wrote on Reddit.

"But contractually it was off of the table.

Bear enthusiast Timothy Treadwell's life was immortalised in a documentary (Lionsgate Films)
Bear enthusiast Timothy Treadwell's life was immortalised in a documentary (Lionsgate Films)

"I agreed to let Werner hear it because I felt as the director it was important to his perception.

"Once he listened he knew that it didn't belong in the movie."

Alleging to be the 'heir of his estate', she said it was her decision for the tape to not be released to the public.

"I was the heir of his 'estate'- video, photos, etc," Palovak explained.

"And every contract for each project that I did after his death had a clause in it that the 'death tape' would not be included in any production."

Jewel Palovak worked as an executive producer on Grizzly Man (X/@TreadwellPhotos)
Jewel Palovak worked as an executive producer on Grizzly Man (X/@TreadwellPhotos)

She noted that 'Timothy was well aware of and definitely accepted the risks of living with wild grizzlies'.

"But after thirteen summers of peaceful integration with the bears he photographed, he probably let his guard down a bit more than he should have," Palovak noted.

"After all of his close encounters with bears year after year, he was killed outside of his tent in the rain without his shoes and glasses on, not while photographing at close proximity in the field."

Featured Image Credit: Lionsgate Films

Topics: Animals, US News

Anish Vij
Anish Vij

Anish is a Journalist at LADbible Group and is a GG2 Young Journalist of the Year 2025. He has a Master's degree in Multimedia Journalism and a Bachelor's degree in International Business Management. Apart from that, his life revolves around the ‘Four F’s’ - family, friends, football and food. Email: [email protected]

X

@Anish_Vij

Recommended reads

Worrying observation made as new CCTV footage of White House dinner shooting suspect releasedX/@USAttyPirroPutin ally issues direct threat to King Charles to raise 'victory banner' over UKMikhail METZEL / POOL / AFP via Getty ImagesBarry Keoghan 'died for a few seconds' during battle with drugs and alcoholJamie McCarthy/WireImagePsychologist explains how to tell if someone is a psychopath just by looking at themLionsgate

Advert

  • Harrowing final words of 'grizzly man' who filmed himself and girlfriend being eaten alive by bear
  • Only one person has been approved for Donald Trump’s $1 million Gold Card
  • Harrowing final words of teenager eaten alive by bear while on phone to her mum
  • Tourist's harrowing selfie with cub before being mauled to death by bear

Choose your content:

2 mins ago
18 mins ago
an hour ago
  • X/@USAttyPirro
    2 mins ago

    Worrying observation made as new CCTV footage of White House dinner shooting suspect released

    Footage shows gunman Cole Tomas Allen attempting to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner to kill President Donald Trump

    News
  • Mikhail METZEL / POOL / AFP via Getty Images
    18 mins ago

    Putin ally issues direct threat to King Charles to raise 'victory banner' over UK

    The propagandist is only the latest to issue a threat against the UK

    News
  • Lionsgate
    an hour ago

    Psychologist explains how to tell if someone is a psychopath just by looking at them

    People who adopt a certain pose are more likely to exhibit psychopathic traits, according to a university professor

    News
  • YouTube/Propublica
    an hour ago

    Woman forced into court hearing during labour for refusing C-section had powerful message

    Probably the last thing you want to do when you're giving birth

    News