Grizzly Man tells the story of Timothy Treadwell, who spent thirteen years of his life taming bears in Alaska. Herzog shows the extraordinary efforts of a man who dedicated his life to crossing the boundary between humans and animals. The director does not idealise his protagonist, who according to many commentators, was trying to establish himself as a media personality, whilst his activities could have been harmful to the wild animals. Treadwell died torn apart by a grizzly bear in 2003.