TRANSCRIPT

FLASH BACK OF PREVIOUS EPISODE

Last week was the beginning of an impossible dream.

Naturalist Marty Stouffer, was living in a remote part of the Rocky Mountains, studying and tracking wildlife. One winter day a chance meeting changed his plans and his entire life. To his surprise he had discovered Colorado's last Grizzly . From that moment on Marty knew he had to re-establish the great bears on their former range, and he came up with a way to do it. He got his very own newborn cub, an orphan to raise and eventually to release into the wilderness as a mate for the big male. He named her Griz. It was love at first sight.

Marty was the only mother the little Grizzly cub would ever know. Together they lived in a log cabin and explored the rugged country around them. At first, Griz was confused by the world outside. Soon she grew to feel right at home. Just like a human child, she was curious and playful, but her curiosity nearly got her into trouble. Marty had to teach her the ways of the wild and more important, the ways of people if she was going to survive alone.

As the season grew warmer, the pair moved into a lean to in the high country. Marty continued his studies while Griz began to venture out on her own. Marty's dream had seemed simple enough but he had never counted on all the little things a Grizzly bear needed to learn. Fortunately, Griz was a willing student, and as the months passed she was becoming very self reliant.

This week, join Marty and Griz for the conclusion of their true story as she learns one last lesson, a sad but vital part of survival. See how the impossible dream just might come true for the "MAN WHO LOVED BEARS".

TRANSITION TO TITLE / MOUNTAIN LION

One day the little cub wandered into serious danger. A Mountain Lion! Griz was completely unaware of danger.

Griz had turned into a spunky little bear.

MARTY'S NARRATION

After that fight, it seemed like Griz got to thinking she might have escaped by climbing a tree. She didn't know that Mountain Lions are great climbers, and Grizzlies are terrible. A grown Grizzly can't climb at all and their cubs can only climb trees with lots of limbs.

MARTY TRIES TEACHING GRIZ TO FISH

Grizzly cubs are like human children, they love to explore creeks and streams. But I felt Griz should start to get serious about it. There are fish in these waters and she needed to know how to catch them.

Trout often hide under rocks and I tried to show the cub how to find them. I didn't think she understood.

MARTY:

'What's that Griz? A fish! Hey, now you've got the idea!"

WILL'S NARRATION

One of the best ways to get to know the geography of a wilderness area is to understand the creeks and streams. Well, Marty and Griz explored them all. The wild creatures waterways are highways, meeting places, for some, their homes.

BEAVERS

Beavers were once scarce in these mountains due to fur trapping, but now they are protected by law and they are coming back.

If Marty had any idea of making undisturbed observations, Griz quickly changed his mind. She was not a passive on looker, she had to be a participant in the game of life.

Grizzlies are good swimmers, but they aren't in the same class with Beavers. This one seemed to enjoy teasing poor Griz, who'd started the whole thing.

When the Beaver had enough, he just submerged and went into his house through an underwater entrance. It didn't take long for Griz to figure out where the beaver went, but she never did find a way to get in.

In the wilderness where people seldom venture, many of the animals are less timid than those near civilization. The trick to getting close to them, Marty says, is to remain very still.

MARTY:

"Shhhh! Quiet Griz! That's a Hummingbird. It gets food out of the blossoms. Hey stop! That's Hummingbird food! You're supposed to look at it, not eat it!"

Grown bears are supposed to enjoy the beauty of flowers, but cubs think of two things only, food and fun.

TIME-LAPSE SUNSET / TRANSITION TO SHEEPHERDER

During that summer, the cub survived many natural dangers. Now, she was to face the greatest danger yet, domestic sheep!

Not that a sheep could ever harm a Grizzly . But a sheepherder would! They have driven their flocks into the deepest recesses of wilderness, and then they kill the native animals for trespassing!

It all began with a Coyote, innocently hunting ground squirrels. Coyotes live mainly on small rodents.

He makes a catch! In many wilderness areas, the predatory animals-like coyotes and bears-have been systematically killed off. As a result, there's been a huge increase in the rodent population. Now, they often do much damage.

COYOTE AND GRIZ PLAYING

The Coyote is afraid at first. Then the wild dog relaxes and they play, with a bit too much noise.

Sheepherders all seem to hate Coyotes, even though this one had never bothered the sheep.

SHEEPHERDER SHOOTING AT GRIZ AND COYOTE / KILLS COYOTE

The Coyote has not yet suspected danger. It was not the man who frightened Griz, it was the galloping horse. To Marty the sound of the shot was like a nightmare. It was a sound of terror which had haunted Marty's mind for months.

MARTY:

"Griz, are you alright? Don't run, it's me, it's Marty. Ohhh, Griz, I thought you were shot. It isn't fair! His sheep don't have any more right to public lands than the wild animals do!"

WILL'S NARRATION

Marty was mad. Some guys think owning a sheep or cow gives them the right to kill anything within miles of their animals. At any moment, a shot could ring out, killing his dream.

MARTY:

"Well look at this. It must have been an old log cabin, once upon a time. Hey a bear trap. Whoa ... this is a monster! It could break a leg! I guess this used to be a trapper's cabin. Aren't you glad he's not around now?"

WILL'S NARRATION:

It was a double spring bear trap. One of the cruelest devices ever invented to torture wild animals. Marty took it as a souvenir of days long gone .... he hoped. At the time, he had no particular plans for it, although it later played an important part in his story.

MARTY:

'Wow! It's all I can to do bend these springs. Come here, Griz. Look at this trap!"

TIME-LAPSE TO AUTUMN / ELK BUGLING

"Come here. Never put your foot in one of these things. Watch! Hey don't worry Griz! It'll never happen to you. "

"Hey, how ya do'in? Ohh, hey."

That Fall, Marty spent more time than ever with Griz. His happiness was tinged with sadness. Soon they would part, as she went to a den to sleep the winter through.

HUNTER

Autumn leaves turned to gold, signaling the most dangerous time of year for wild animals. It is hunting season. And in the wilderness, a hunter came to satisfy some primitive feelings that he can enhance his manhood through killing and death.

MARTY:

"Right there! Let's dig!"

WILL'S NARRATION

Soon, it would be the denning season. Only Griz did not have a den for her long winter sleep. So, Marty, like a good Grizzly mother, tried to show her how to dig one.

MARTY: "See, Griz, you just dig. Come on, use those big hooks of yours."

Griz seemed to think they were hunting for something to eat. She seemed to get the idea, all right, but she would much rather wrestle with Marty.

Without knowing why, Griz had been preparing herself for her long sleep. Her appetite was ravenous, she'd eaten almost anything that could remotely be considered food, bees and ants, snakes and worms, fresh green grasses followed by juicy, sweet service berries. It all became fat, which would last her throughout the Winter.

During the Winter, the normal Grizzly does not really hibernate. Bears sleep a long time, but it is a light sleep, and they may come out of their den several times. In hotter climates, they often do not den up at all in the Winter months.

As the first light snows began to powder the mountains, Griz would check her den over and over again. Then one day, she moved in for good, as if guided by an unseen hand. Normally, the winter would have been spent with her mother and perhaps a brother and sister. But Griz had no mother except Marty and he, well, he was not capable of six months sleep without anything to eat.

MARTY:
"Well, so long girl. Have a good winter's sleep. See you next April."

MARTY LEAVES DEN

Marty knew that she would be safe till spring, with 6 feet of snow piled on top of the den.

I spent a lot of time that winter with the Bighorn. I wanted to study them while there were still some left.

I also wanted to be near Griz, in case she woke up and needed me.

BIGHORN COMPETING FOR FEMALE

It was mating season again for the Bighorn, and I knew the big rams would be fighting over the females. They compete by butting heads.

It wasn't easy to tell who had won, but they seemed to know.

There were some pretty bad storms that year and the Bighorn were suffering. They were weakened by hunger. The government had permitted flocks of domestic sheep to graze up there, and they didn't leave much for the Bighorn.

MARTY REPELLING DOWN CLIFF / TRANSITION TO MAROON BELLS

When I finally left the Bighorn country, I had to laugh at myself. Here I was, all roped up and still worried about falling, and those critters would just walk out on the cliff as casual as you please.

GRIZ COMING OUT OF DEN

It was April when Griz finally came out of her den, yawning and blinking, and very hungry!

MARTY'S NARRATION

I was afraid for Griz, and I don't mind saying so. She trusted people too much! Her love for humans would cause her death. I knew I had to make her fear-even hate, humans although it meant she would also hate me.

MARTY PREPARES BEAR TRAP

The bear trap was the answer. I heated it in the fire and let it cool real slow. That destroys the strength in the springs. I didn't want to break her leg, which is what the trap could have done. I couldn't bring myself to hurt her.

I knew that just the knowledge that she was caught, that she was not free, would impress her as even the gun shots had not. If she were caught in the trap, she would never trust any human, ever again. And that, I believed, would save her life.

MARTY:
"Here, Griz! Come to me, Atta girl! Hey Griz, come here. Come on, come on, come on."

GRIZ CAUGHT IN TRAP

She was caught!

I could hardly watch. Despite my precautions, she was in pain! She was scared. She was betrayed! And she knew it was because of me!

When she pulled free I could see that she was not seriously injured. I was thankful for that! Then she walked away.

MARTY:

"Griz! Come back! I didn't want to, Griz. I'm sorry. Good-bye Griz."

My feelings were totally mixed up, I wanted her to be free, but I wanted her back!

WILL'S NARRATION

A year went by. Marty's work took him all over the Rocky Mountains and even up into Alaska. But the next Spring, he was back at the cabin. You can bet that the thing top most on his mind was Griz.

He had asked around at the ranches, nobody seemed to have heard of any bears up here. His secret was safe, anyway. But he had to know more, was she all right? Did she stay in this area. He had to see her one last time. For many days he searched.

MARTY SEARCHES FOR GRIZ

MARTY:

"Griz ? Griz? Griz ? Hey Griz. Griz, it's me, Marty!"

Griz recognized Marty, there was no doubt about that. She seemed to want to go to him, then she seemed to remember the trap. Marty understood. It was as he had planned. She was a wild bear now.

It was a big male!

The two, together. Marty was filled with joy! His dream was becoming a reality! The next step was baby Grizzlies .

CONCLUSION

That was the last time Marty ever tried to see Griz. He thinks she is still up there with her cubs. Will they survive? Of course they will, if man will let them. For man has the power to destroy everything. Perhaps man cannot change, but he can come to understand that in true wilderness is the key to our own life. He may know that to love wildlife is to love all life including his own. He may comprehend that there is in each of us a little of, "THE MAN WHO LOVED BEARS".