>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK,
EVERYBODY!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
THIS GENTLEMAN RIGHT HERE IS MY
NEXT GUEST AND HE'S BEEN A BEAR
HANDLER FOR 28 YEARS.
HE STARS IN A NEW SERIES ON
ANIMAL PLANET CALLED "PROJECT
GRIZZLY."
>> IT'S STRANGE, EVEN I CAN LOOK
AT A BEAR IN THE WILD AND IT
REALLY DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE A
PERSONALITY TO ME, IT'S JUST A
BEAR.
BUT YOU LIVE WITH THEM, AND
YOU'RE, LIKE, THAT BEAR HAS A
PERSONALITY.
THAT BEAR JUST ALMOST SEEMS
HUMAN LIKE, IF YOU WILL.
EASY, BOB.
EASY, BUD, EASY.
EASY, BUD.
I'M TALKING NAYS ABOUT YOU.
BE NICE TO ME.
EASY.
I'M NOT SAYING BAD THINGS, SO
DON'T DO THAT.
IF PEOPLE THINK I'M AFRAID OF MY
BEARS, I KIND OF AM.
>> Stephen: LADIES AND
GENTLEMEN, PLEASE WELCOME THE
BEAR MAN, JEFF WATSON!
JEFF, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> Stephen: ALL RIGHT.
SO, OBVIOUS FIRST QUESTION, WHAT
IS WRONG WITH YOU?
HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPEND WITH
THESE BEARS?
>> ENOUGH.
ENOUGH TO STAY ALIVE.
AS FAR AS WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?
I WENT TO MUHAMAD ALI'S HOUSE
AND I TOOK A BIG KODIAK NAMED
BRODY --
>> Stephen: YOU TOOK A BEAR TO
MUHAMAD ALI'S HOUSE.
>> DOES THAT SOUND STRANGE?
I PUT MY HEAD IN THE BEAR'S
MOUTH AND HE SAID, YOU CRAZY!
WHEN MUHAMAD ALI TELLS YOU
YOU'RE CRAZY, YOU'RE PROBABLY
CRAZY.
>> Stephen: HOW DO YOU GET
STARTED WORKING WITH BEARS?
WHAT IS THE WORK YOU'RE DOING
WITH THESE BEARS?
>> WELL, IN THE PAST, I DID A
LOT OF COMMERCIALS AND TV SHOWS,
BUT MY INTEREST WAS ALWAYS IN
INTERACTING WITH THEM.
IT WAS NEVER IN DOING COMMERCIAL
PROJECTS.
THAT FACILITATED FEEDING THE
BEARS.
THEY'RE EXPENSIVE ANIMALS.
WE'RE TAKING TWO CAPTIVE BORN
AND RAISED BEARS AND SEEING IF I
CAN RELEASE THEM INTO THE WILD.
CAN I TEACH THEM WHAT THEY NEED
TO KNOW AND WHAT INSTINCTIVELY
WILL COME TO THEM WHEN THEY GET
TO THE WILD?
>> Stephen: HOW DID YOU GET
STARTED WITH THE BEARS?
THESE ARE TWO GRIZZLY BEARS YOU
HAVE NOW?
>> YES.
>> Stephen: DO YOU WORK YOUR
WAY UP?
DO YOU START WITH GUMMIA BEARS
AND WORK YOUR WAY UP?
KOALA BEARS?
YOU DIDN'T JUST JUMP INTO A PIT
WITH BEARS, RIGHT?
>> WELL, MY HIGH SCHOOL
COUNSELOR DIDN'T SAY I WOULD BE
A BEAR TRAINER.
I HAD A DISEASE THAT PARALYZE
MED WHEN I WAS 20 YEARS OLD.
I HAD A MID LIFE CRISIS AT AGE
20.
I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET A
BEAR CUB.
A GUY HAD ONE.
I GOT ONE.
I GREW UP WATCHING GRIZZLY ADAMS
AND I THOUGHT I COULD DO THAT.
THEY DIDN'T TELL ME THAT'S HOW
GRIZZLY ADAMS DIED.
NBC LIED TO ME ABOUT THAT.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO WATCH YOUR
CONTRACT, THEY DON'T TELL YOU
EVERYTHING.
>> Stephen: WHICH ONE OF YOUR
BEARS IS GOING TO TURN ON YOU?
>> NONE OF THEM.
>> Stephen: THAT MEANS BOTH OF
THEM.
YOU'VE GOT A HEALTHY FEAR OF
THEM, RIGHT?
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A HEALTHY
RESPECT FOR THEM.
>> WELL, I HAVE A HEALTHY
RESPECT.
>> Stephen: HOW BIG ARE THESE
BEARS.
>> ABOUT 700 POUNDS APIECE.
>> Stephen: IS THAT BIG?
BIGGER THAN ME.
>> Stephen: WELL, CAN THEY GET
BIGGER THAN THAT?
>> SURE.
I HAD KODIAKS.
THAT'S THE BIGGEST BROWN BEAR IN
THE WORLD.
I HAD BRODY AND HE WAS 1200,
1300 POUNDS.
BUT CAN'T KILL YOU ANY DEADER
THAN A 700-POUNDER.
( LAUGHTER )
>> Stephen: I'M JUST WONDERING
WHAT PART OF THIS CONVERSATION
I'LL PLAY BACK AT YOUR MEMORIAL.
( LAUGHTER )
WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE ARE
FASCINATED WITH BEARS?
BECAUSE BEARS HAVE SUCH AN
ICONIC -- I'M AFRAID OF BEARS.
PEOPLE THOUGHT MY OLD CHARACTER
WAS, LIKE -- HE WAS AFRAID OF
BEARS.
THAT'S ONE THING HE AND I HAVE
IN COMMON.
I DREAM ABOUT BEARS.
IF THINGS ARE GOING BAD IN MY
LIFE, I'LL DREAM THERE'S A BEAR
BETWEEN ME AND A GOAL I HAVE.
WHY DO YOU THINK BEARS ARE SO
ICONIC?
>> THEY'RE LIKE US.
THEY HAVE FOREARMS LIKE US,
MANIPULATE THEIR PAWS LIKE US,
BIPEDAL, WALK HEEL TO TOE.
THE NATIVE AMERICANS SAID I'LL
FOLLOW THE BEAR AND SEE WHAT
IT'S.
80 TO 90% ARE OMNIVOROUS DIET.
A LOT OF THINGS ABOUT THE BEARS
ARE LIKE US, SO I THINK THAT'S
WHY WE HOLD THEM IN HIGH REGARD.
>> Stephen: LET'S SAY I'M OUT
IN THE WILD.
WHAT KIND OF BEAR WOULD BY SAFER
RUNNING INTO?
I DON'T WANT TO RUN INTO EITHER
KIND, BUT IF I WAS GOING TO RUN
INTO A BEAR IN THE WILD, WHAT DO
I WANT TO RUN INTO?
>> ONE THAT'S ALREADY EATEN,
ALREADY HAD LUNCH IS GOOD.
>> Stephen: IS IT A GRIZZLY
OR -- A BLACK OR BROWN BEAR MORE
LIKELY TO COME AT ME AND EAT ME?
>> STATISTICALLY, YOU HAVE A
GREATER CHANCE OF BEING STRUCK
BY LIGHTNING IN A NATIONAL PARK
THAN ATTACKED OR KILLED BY A
BEAR.
BLACK BEARS TEND TO ATTACK YOU
MORE IN A -- THEY'RE MORE
AGGRESSIVE WHEN THEY'RE ACTING
OFFENSIVELY.
BROWN BEARS TEND TO ATTACK YOU
DEFENSIVELY.
LET'S SAY YOU'RE IN YELLOW STONE
PARK AND SURPRISE A GRIZZLY
MOTHER WITH CUBS.
SHE PERCEIVES YOU AS A THREAT
AND MAY TRY TO ELIMINATE THE
PERCEIVED THREAT AND TRY TO KILL
YOU, SO YOU PLAY DEAD.
BLACK BEARS RARELY ATTACK WHEN
YOU SURPRISE THEM.
BLACK BEARS, IT'S A RARE CASE
WHERE A BLACKBERRY WANTS TO KILL
AND CONSUME YOU.
SO FIGHT BACK WITH A BLACK BEAR,
PLAY DEAD WITH A BROWN BEAR.
>> Stephen: I LIE DOWN --
YOU DON'T WANT TO JUST LIE
DOWN AND SAY, COME GET ME.
( LAUGHTER )
>> Stephen: OBVIOUSLY,IP NOT
TRYING TO SEDUCE THE BEAR.
DOES THAT WORK AT ALL?
>> I'VE NEVER TRIED IT.
NO.
>> Stephen: ALL RIGHT.
PRETTY INTIMATE PHOTOGRAPH.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT.
>> GETS LONELY IN THE WOODS.
>> Stephen: THAT'S SECOND BASE
WHERE I COME FROM.
( LAUGHTER )
NOW, YOU'VE GOT KIDS.
>> YEP.
>> Stephen: YOU'VE RAISED
BEARS AND KIDS, HOW WOULD YOU
COMPARE THEM?
WHICH IS EASIER?
>> KIDS CAN EMBARRASS YOU AT
WAL-MART, BEARS CAN EAT YOU.
SO FIGURE IT OUT.
>> Stephen: IT'S A COIN TOSS.
YEAH.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU, SIR.
>> Stephen: NICE TO MEET YOU.
"PROJECT GRIZZLY" AIRS SATURDAY
NIGHTS ON ANIMAL PLANET.
JEFF WATSON, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
♪
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )