Good Enough: A Grizzly Bear Encounter Cost One Man His Life

Have you ever held a dream so big, that you’d risk your life to make it a reality? Charles “Charlie” Gibbs, an amateur photographer, dreamed of seeing one of his wildlife photos published in The Hungry Horse News, a highly-regarded wildlife publication, yet none of his photos were ‘good enough’ to impress Brian Kennedy, the magazine’s publisher and editor. In 1987, Gibbs spotted a mama bear roaming with her two cubs, a photo he felt would win over Kennedy. He was right -he died capturing the shot Kennedy later published in his magazine.

Charles and his wife Glenda enjoyed hiking. On April 25, 1987, Charles and Glenda headed back toward their car after an adventure near Elk Mountain in Montana’s Glacier National Park when they spotted the bear family. Glenda immediately sensed the danger and urged her husband to accompany her back to the car. Charles did not heed the advice, instead opting to get closer to the bears to capture the awe-inspiring shot he hoped would earn accolades from fellow photographers and more importantly, Brian Kennedy.

Information About Grizzly Bears

Grizzly bears call several U.S. states home -Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Wyoming-with their activity and population closely monitored by conservation authorities. Conservation services help minimize grizzly bear attacks against humans and help manage their safety. Alaska is home to the largest bear population with an estimated 30,000. Around 700 - 1,000 bears live in Idaho, 1,000 live in Montanan, and Washington state is home to about 10 to 20 grizzle bears. Around 700 grizzlies live in Wyoming.

Sows are extremely protective of their young. They are highly maternal and devoted to caring for their cubs, stopping at nothing to protect them. They're also smart, curious, and sometimes unpredictable, although generally try to avoid contact with people. They hold four-inch-long, razor-sharp claws and fanged jaws wide enough to grip a human head. Grizzly bears consume up to 90 pounds of food each day.

Bear Family Spotted Charles

Seeing Charles approach, the bear family attempted to get away. He refused to respect the bears' space and continued toward the family.

The sow and one cub spotted him, as evidenced by the photo later found in his camera showing the bears looking directly at the camera, and at Charles. The photo was dramatic, impressive, and appealing enough to get Kennedy’s attention- he published the photo in The Hungry Horse along with a story about Charles’ death.

A second photo shows the bear family charging toward Charlie from about 50 feet away. Park officials believe Charles climbed into a tree to escape the attack. The agitated sow climbed up the tree and rangled Charlie down where she mauled him to death. His body was found the following day underneath the tree alongside his camera. Glenda reported her husband missing when he did not return to their car.

Charles Caused His Death

Park officials pieced together the events from the day based on the photographs found in Charles’ camera. They determined Charles was at fault for the accident and did not put down the sow or her cubs. I believe officials made the right decision in this case.

Sources & Additional Information:

https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/04/27/Grizzly-mauls-photographer-to-death/4225546494400/

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-04-28-mn-2468-story.html

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/58077882/charles-gibbs

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