James "Grizzly" Adams

James ( or John ) Capen " Grizzly " Adams ( born October 20, 1807 in Medwey, Massachusetts, † October 25, 1860 ) was an American Animal Control, animal trainer and showman.

He spent many years in the unpopulated area that is now West of the U.S., especially in California. There he occupied himself with the capture and training of animals, which he then sold to circuses, zoos and Menagerieen.

Nationally known he was reporting, which documented his work with animals. It was one of his special screenings of wrestling with domesticated grizzly bears, referred to by his nickname. Also one of his tamest animals, the bear Ben became known (named after Benjamin Franklin ), he oversaw until his death. In a fight he was from another bear seriously injured by a bite to the head. However, he was able to continue working despite a skull fracture.

James Adams died of meningitis, which he had contracted at work with a monkey. He was buried in Charlton Worcester County, near his birthplace in Massachusetts. The different date of birth October 12, 1812 lists the details of the grave stone back, and this is, however, considered to be wrong, as he was at the time of his death 53 years old.

Adams fate since the 1860s in popular American literature a popular topic, especially for children's book authors.

In 1973 Charles E. Sellier wrote the book Life and Times of Grizzly Adams on the life of James Adams. This work served in 1974 as a template for the eponymous film and a TV series that aired from 1977. However, their contents are different from the traditional life of James Adams. In the German-speaking world, the book was not published. Film series and carry the title The man in the mountains.