This documentary uses footage shot by Timothy Treadwell to tell the story of his encounters with grizzly bears during summers in the Katmai National Park in Alaska. Interviews with Treadwell's family and friends, as well as park rangers and local politicians, are also included to flesh out a story of an eccentric wildlife enthusiast whose motives and actions were often criticized as misguided, if not dangerous. The film focuses on the tension that is created between, on the one hand, Treadwell's passionate love of the wild bears and commitment to environmentalist concerns, and on the other, the need for non-involvement with wild animals and the protection of public safety.