Bear Activists Killed in Daylight

A grizzly bear killed noted bear activist Timothy Treadwell during daylight hours and not at night, as was originally believed, according to a National Park Service report.

Treadwell, 46, and his girlfriend Amie Huguenard, 37, of Malibu, were found dead on Oct. 6 in Katmai National Park, along the southwestern Alaskan coast. Both had been mauled to death.

The report concludes that Treadwell -- who spent years getting close to bears -- was killed about 2 p.m. during a heavy rain. The study said that the time of the attack had been recorded on Treadwell’s video camera, which captured audio but not video of the mauling.

Investigators earlier theorized that Treadwell had left his tent at night and bumped into a bear that then attacked him.

John Quinley, a spokesman for Katmai National Park, said investigators think it’s possible that Treadwell was observing a bear near his tent that afternoon when it attacked.

On the tape, Huguenard can be heard leaving the tent to go to his aid.

“There’s going to be a certain amount of mystery with this forever, but the basic tale has been told,” said Quinley. “They chose a dangerous place to camp, they chose a pattern of seeking close encounters with bears ... and it brought about their deaths.”

A previous study by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game found that Treadwell and Huguenard had been camping in an area laced with bear trails that offered poor visibility, owing to tall grass and thick shrubs.