Biography

A video camera captured the sounds of their last moments, indicating that Treadwell was attacked first.

Auditioned for the role of Woody on ''Cheers (1982-1993)'' and was a final contender but ultimately lost to Woody Harrelson.

According to his book, Among Grizzlies: Living with Wild Bears in Alaska, his mission to protect bears began after he survived a near-fatal heroin overdose in the late 1980s. He confesses in his book that his drug addiction grew from his alcoholism, and after that experience, he knew he needed to do something with his life that was meaningful. A lover of all animals since he was a child, he traveled to Alaska to watch bears at the urging of a close friend. He wrote that after his first encounter with a wild bear, he knew he had found his calling in life. He attributed his recovery from drug and alcohol addictions entirely to his relationship with bears.

A veteran of 13 summers of camping among the Katmai grizzly bears, Treadwell was co-author of "Among Grizzlies: Living With Wild Bears in Alaska", made numerous films about grizzlies and other Alaskan wildlife, maintained an extensive web site about grizzlies, and was the subject of documentaries by the Discovery Channel and Dateline NBC. Treadwell said he decided to devote himself to saving grizzlies after a drug overdose, which inspired him to give up drugs, study bears and establish a non-profit bear-appreciation group called Grizzly People.

His direct cremation service was at Anchorage Funeral Home and Crematory. His ashes were sprinkled in Katmai National Park near Kaflia Bay afterwards.