I
first heard of him three years ago in Yellowstone Park. A ranger was
supposed to be giving us a general orientation to the park, but spent
most of the time talking about a particular grizzly bear which had
captured his attention -- a 600 lb male grizzly named
"Scarface". Scarface had a penchant for
getting into trouble -- nearly every type of trouble that a bear can
get into. He was known as one of the most active and aggressive
bears in the park, making him also one of the most photographed bears in
the park. Put on a documentary about Grizzlies in Yellowstone; most
likely it will include footage of Scarface. He got into numerous fights
with other bears over females, over rights to a kill, maybe over bear
politics. One of these battles caused a serious injury in which he
lost half an ear and a deep gash across his face – giving him his
name. As a result he was instantly identifiable.
Recently
he had crossed the line, which park officials define as "too
close contact with humans". He was found rummaging through some
trash dumpsters. This earned him a tranquilizer dart and a radio
collar. After that they knew where he was at all times. So
he was also one of the most studied bears in the park.
The
ranger told about a bear kill (not Scarface's) he was observing. He
noticed a tiny brown dot in the far distance. The little brown dot
got bigger and bigger but he couldn't make it out until he pulled out
his binoculars. It was Scarface! Somehow, from over a mile away Scarface had
detected the kill and was making a beeline for it. The ranger found
this remarkable as Scarface was *upwind* of the kill. Of course when Scarface arrived he took over the kill and chased the other bear away.
It
was clear from the way he told these stories that he had developed a
sort of admiration, even affection for Scarface. Later that same day I
encountered Scarface myself, in person! He was just standing on top of
another kill, protecting it. I snapped this picture of him:
The legendary "Scarface" (This
picture was later used by a tour company to promote tours of
Yellowstone)
There
was something unique about him, and he captured my imagination too. He had personality, he had character. I
never forgot him. This year I had returned to Yellowstone in the
winter, on a wolf tracking expedition. The topic of Scarface came up
and I inquired about his status. Scarface was 25 at the time, a
fairly old age for a grizzly. His health was declining, but should
have had a few more years to live.
Today,
I learned that Scarface had been shot by an unknown person. Grizzlies are
protected under federal law, so most likely this was an illegal act
(the only exception is self-defense which is unlikely because it was
not reported).
Goodbye,
Scarface. You touched many lives including mine and my heart is
heavy, especially at the manner of your passing :(
