The Last Grizzly of Colorado: Ed Wiseman's Fatal Encounter

The Last Grizzly in Colorado

• 🐻 In 1979, Ed Wiseman, a seasoned guide, encountered what he believed to be the last grizzly bear in Colorado, a significant event given the species' prior eradication efforts.
• 🌲 Wiseman's encounter occurred while guiding a client in the San Juan Mountains, two weeks after a prior sighting of a large, unusual black bear.

The Fatal Attack

• 💥 On September 23, 1979, Wiseman was charged by a 400-lb grizzly bear, which he realized was not a black bear.
• 🤕 The bear, cornered by terrain, attacked Wiseman, inflicting severe injuries to his leg and shoulder, described as a mauling akin to a "dog with a toy."
• ⚔️ In a desperate act of self-defense, Wiseman grabbed an arrow from his scattered quiver and stabbed the bear in the neck and body, eventually breaking the arrow.
• 💔 The bear, wounded, retreated and died shortly after, marking the end of grizzly bears in Colorado.

Survival and Rescue

• 🚶‍♂️ Despite severe injuries and blood loss, Wiseman managed to walk and was found by his client, Mike, who helped bandage his wounds.
• 🐎 With the help of horses, they attempted to reach safety, but Ed's condition worsened, leading them to stop and build a fire.
• 🚁 Rescue services arrived over 12 hours after the attack, with medical personnel initially doubting Wiseman's survival due to his extensive injuries and hypothermia.
• 💪 Doctors were able to save Wiseman's leg, and he spent 31 days in the hospital recovering from the mauling.

Legal Scrutiny and Conservation

• ⚖️ Following the attack, Wiseman faced an investigation by the federal government, with suspicions that he may have shot the bear before being attacked.
• 🔬 Polygraph tests cleared Wiseman, and evidence regarding the angle of the fatal wound and the arrow's penetration suggested he acted in self-defense.
• 📉 The narrative highlights the historical eradication of grizzly bears in the US, with states like Texas, California, Utah, Oregon, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado losing their populations.
• 🌱 Conservation efforts since 1975 have led to a significant increase in grizzly bear populations in the lower 48 states, with hopes for future reintroduction into historic ranges like the San Juans.

Reflections on Loss and Wilderness

• ⛰️ The loss of the last grizzly in Colorado is framed as the loss of wilderness and magic from the landscape, transforming a mountain into just a mountain.
• 📖 Readings from Aldo Leopold's "A Sand County Almanac" further emphasize the profound impact of losing apex predators and the concept of "progress" that leads to their extinction.
• 🏞️ The episode concludes with a hopeful outlook on grizzly bear conservation, advocating for connected populations and their rightful place in ecosystems like the San Juan Mountains.