True Bear Story

May 12, 2007

In 2001, a man named Jack Stabb was on holiday in Mammoth after graduating from USC . On a hike through the backcountry, he came across a young black bear standing with one leg raised in the air.

The bear seemed distressed, so Jack approached it very carefully. He got down on one knee and inspected the bear's foot, and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could, Jack worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the bear gingerly put down its foot.

The bear turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments. Jack stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being mauled.

Eventually the bear roared loudly, turned and walked away. Jack Stabb never forgot that bear or the events of that day.

Last summer, Jack was walking through the woods with his young son. As they approached a campground, they saw several bears feasting on the garbage. One of the creatures turned and walked over near to where Jack and his son were standing.

The bear stared at Jack, lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down. The bear did that several times then roared loudly, all the while staring at the man.

Remembering the encounter in 2001, Jack couldn't help wondering if this was the same bear. He summoned up his courage, climbed over a picnic table and made his way into the trash can area. He walked right up to the bear and stared back in wonder.

The bear wrapped its front leg and paw around one of Jack's legs and slammed him against a railing, killing him instantly.

Probably wasn't the same bear.

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