Stranger Among Bears
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Charles Edward Vandergaw (June 2, 1938 – March 30, 2025) was an American schoolteacher from
Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage, officially the Municipality of Anchorage, is the List of cities in Alaska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it contains nearly 40 percent of ...
. He was known for having spent over 30 years of his life living amongst
bear Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family (biology), family Ursidae (). They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats ...
s in the state of Alaska. Vandergaw was the subject of a 2009
Animal Planet Animal Planet (stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American multinational pay television channel focusing on the animal kingdom owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. First established on June 1 ...
documentary titled ''Stranger Among Bears''.


Biography

Charles Edward Vandergaw was born on June 2, 1938 in
Lakeview, Oregon Lakeview is a city in Lake County, Oregon, United States. The population was 2,418 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the county seat of Lake County. The city bills itself as the "Tallest Town in Oregon" because of its elevation ...
. Vandergaw moved to
Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage, officially the Municipality of Anchorage, is the List of cities in Alaska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it contains nearly 40 percent of ...
in 1964 and soon found work as a schoolteacher. For much of his career, he worked as a science teacher and wrestling coach at
Dimond High School A. J. Dimond High School (DHS) is a public four-year high school in Anchorage, Alaska, and is a part of the Anchorage School District. It has been accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Dimond serves students in the ...
. By 1988, after retiring from this profession, he began pursuing a passion for outdoors-related activities. This included what was originally intended as a hunting lodge, but instead became a facility for viewing bears, located at the foot of a mountain in the
Yentna River The Yentna River (Denaʼina language, Dena'ina: ''Yentnu'') is a river in South Central Alaska, formed by its East Fork and West Fork at , flows South-East to Susitna River, North-West of Anchorage, Alaska, at Cook Inlet Low. History Tanain ...
valley. He was the subject of a 2009 television
documentary A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...
series titled ''Stranger Among Bears'' aired on
Animal Planet Animal Planet (stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American multinational pay television channel focusing on the animal kingdom owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. First established on June 1 ...
. Although against the law of the State of Alaska, the repeated and regular feeding of
grizzlies Grizzlies may refer to: *Grizzly bears Sports ; Sports teams named after the grizzly bear: United States: * Memphis Grizzlies, a National Basketball Association team in Memphis, Tennessee * Fresno Grizzlies, a Triple-A minor league baseball team b ...
and black bears over many years enabled Vandergaw to habituate these animals to him, thus allowing him to studying their patterns of behavior. In 2010, Vandergaw pleaded guilty to violation of the law, and was given a 180-days suspended jail sentence, plus a $20,000 fine. Vandergaw died at home on March 30, 2025 after a four-year battle with
Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...
. He was 86.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vandergaw, Charlie 1938 births 2025 deaths Animal trainers Comparative psychologists People from Anchorage, Alaska Schoolteachers from Alaska