I Survived the Attack of the Grizzles, 1967 by Lauren Tarshis

3^rd Grade and Up

No grizzly has ever killed a human in Glacier before . . . until tonight. 

11-year-old Melody Vega and her family come to Glacier National Park every year, and it's always been a place where she can forget her troubles. But this year is different. With Mom gone, every moment in the park is a heartbreaking reminder of the past.
Then Mel comes face-to-face with the mighty grizzly. Now her only thought is one of survival. Mel will soon be a part of one of the most tragic seasons in the history of America's national parks - a summer of terror that will forever change ideas about how grizzlies and humans can exist together in the wild.

I love all of the I Survivedbooks but this one is my favorite because, out of all the disasters featured so far, this one could’ve been prevented. 

(Heads up. Spoilers ahead)

In a nut shell, the bears weren’t the problem in Glacier, it was the trash that humans were leaving behind. After years of eating garbage and leftover food the bears had lost their fear of humans. The bears who attacked were not bloodthirsty monsters, they were sick animals in pain.

The thought of any harm coming to these beautiful creatures breaks my heart. See bear pictures below:

“The view is much better up here.”

“A Beary Cute Family”

“Hello!”

Don’t let those furry innocent faces fool you. These are still wild animals with teeth and claws and will attack a human if they feel threatened. And considering what humans have done to them in the past, they should be.

On an unrelated note, here is a little excerpt from the book that reminds you that this story takes place back in 1967: 

“Mel wished she could press a button and instantly send this story to people all over the world. But this was real life in 1967, not some science fiction story set a thousand years from now.” 

Turns out it took less then 50 years for this to become a reality. Unfortunately, it’s going to take a lot longer for people to learn not to dump their trash everywhere and to leave the wildlife alone.

I found out what disaster is being featured next and I’m really looking forward to it.

This weeks’ Weird but True Fact about Grizzly Bears

A grizzly bear can sniff out food 18 miles away.