Night of the Grizzlies

By: Jack Olsen

Narrated by: Kevin Pierce

Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

Jack Olsen's true account, traces the causes of the tragic night in August 1967 when two separate and unrelated campers, a distance apart, were savagely mangled and killed by enraged bears.

©2014 Jack Olsen (P)2014 Gregg Olsen

More captivating than I expected

Reading the reviews about the long introduction about the natural history of
Glacier national park I didn't expect to be so engrossed in the narrative right away.
Interesting and well told story

Incredible book!c

Shocking, horrible true story. Tell us what really happened and what led up to it, Contributing factors. The National Park Service failure to enforce basic safety rules and lax dangerous bear population management that year in glacier national Park.Bears fed garbage in order to provide a nightly entertainment show for the tourists. All this led up to two unspeakable tragedy's in one night at the park. The story is riveting because it is true.

Absolutely riveting!

Great narration added to this fantastic account of the Night of the Grizzlies in Glacier National Park! I've been telling everyone I know about this story and audiobook!

Another fascinating true tale by Jack olsen!

There is no mystery to be solved in this book, but the unraveling and examination of all the threads that made up the complex human -Grizzley bear relationship that lead to an unimaginable tragedy one summer. Olsen's story telling is complex, thorough and compelling and Kevin Pierce is a brilliant voice for his stories.

Stunning...

The events within this story took place 53 years ago as I was not yet born until 1968. The glory days of free ranging in Yellowstone didn’t exactly slow down until the mid 1970’s.
As an adult I can’t imagine the level of ignorance the Park Rangers of 1967 displayed which lead up to the tragic events of that fateful night in 1967.
So much has been learned regarding wildlife and it’s habitat these past 50 yrs that it just seems unimaginable the Yellowstone caretakers of 1967 were so oblivious to at least some wildlife management concepts.
I don’t think they were actually.
After listening to this book, I believe what occurred was a perfect storm affected from complacency and willful oversight.
I grew up knowing the number one rule at Yellowstone is “Do Not Feed the Bears!” Now I know why this rule is effectively enforced. The cost of human life to learn that lesson and many other lessons as to why we don’t entice, or feed the bears with food, or food waste was a very high one.
Why didn’t certain higher ups in 1967 Park Management be held accountable and fired over this tragedy? The rule existed in 1967 but was lacking enforcement.
I was disturbed by the trash waste dumps near shelters and camping grounds described in the story as used to attract bears for tourists to get a glimpse at them.
More disturbing was the ignorant suggestions being tossed around back then about eliminating the Grizzlies from Yellowstone altogether to make it safer for visitors to the park.
Thankfully we’ve come a long way in the 53yrs since that fateful night. We have so much to learn yet still.

The night the bears lost their fear of humans

Jack Olsen, the legendary reporter, delivers a superbly crafted non-fiction account of a night of unprecedented violence, that is also a meditation on Man's humanity, and our relationship with the environment. The first part of the book is a comprehensive description of Glacier National Park, and the flora and fauna that inhabit it. This sets the tone of the book. One can hear the birdsong, the splash of rippling waters, feel the frigid cold of the altitude, smell the scents of pine and loam. And we're presented with descriptions of the difficult, short lives of the beasts that live there.

The second act focuses on people who live in the park; grandfathered in because their homesteads existed before the park became a national park, the hikers, fishermen and rangers that enjoy and protect it. Then a long section on the history of bears in North America, the Black Bear, the now extinct Golden Bear, and Ursus Horribilis, the Grizzly bear. (No mention of a polar bear--though). The second act rises in tension as rogue bears begin to behave very oddly. The fear mechanism that has prevented Grizzly bears from attacking humans for almost 60 years of Park history is beginning to fade, and the bears are becoming bolder, and more aggressive. And it's not just one. It's as though a bear group-think has occurred, and they've told each other they're mad as hell and they're not going to take it any more. The third act is a description of the atrocities that occurred that night, and the human reaction to it. It is by turns terrifying and deeply emotional.

Kevin Pierce narrates with just the right tone of authority and passion. Like his earlier books that I've heard: the Bundy Murders, and the Black Dahlia Avenger, Mr. Pierce has a special sensitivity for the plight of victims. He humanizes them and gives their stories dimension and impact. I found myself tearing up several times. The Night of the Grizzlies is a really great story, and an important story, told by two masterful storytellers.

Couldn't put my phone down

This was an awesome, but sad story. I hope to find more like it. I remember my mom and dad talking about this back in 67. I was 6 years old and I've remembered it ever since. Good author, too.

Proper food storage

Very well told, good information.
I have gained more knowledge and respect for bears
PLEASE STORE YOUR FOOD PROPERLY WHEN IN BEAR COUNTRY

Brought here by a Podcast and was not disappointed

I first heard about this book from a podcast called National Park After Dark and immediately wanted to read this book ever since. I'm not used to having such a deep voice narrate but after a couple chapters it felt like a good fit for the story and time it takes place. It so sad all around and the moral of it is still very relevant today and probably forever. I'll definitely need to buy a hard copy to keep for my own personal library.

Good read

Interesting and thought provoking. Not for the queasy tummy. Beast in the Garden is another good read on the return of the mountain lion to the Boulder CO area.