Stephan Miller was filming a promotional video when the bear turned against him
Warning: This article contains graphic descriptions, images and video which some readers may find distressing
Animal trainer Stephan Miller was filming a promotional video when his play-wrestling with a bear took a turn for the worst.
The 39-year-old was at his cousin’s animal training center – named Randy Miller’s Predators in Action – located in the San Bernardino Mountains, east of Los Angeles, when he attempted to perform a wrestling stunt with a five-year-old bear named Rocky.
Stephan wasn’t working as a trainer at the time of the filming of an advertisement video at the center, having worked there for several years before taking a break.
However, as a result of his experience with bears and previous experience, Randy called upon his help to film the promo.
Rocky the bear had already been trained to wrestle humans and had acted in 2008 release Semi-Pro, wrestling Randy – who was a body double for Will Ferrell in the movie.
The 7.5ft tall bear, weighing 700 pounds, had been trained to become ‘playful’ ‘on cue’ Randy explained to TODAY.com. Alas, Randy told ShareNow.com despite the training and Stephan having ‘bonded’ with the bear – ‘talking to him and hanging out’ – and ‘all the protocols having been taken’ the filming didn’t go to plan.
He continued: “We brought the bear out, we got the bear next to him and the bear was supposed to start out next to him and then they would start the staged attack – the bear was supposed to take him out.
Rocky the bear weighed 700 pounds (National Geographic Wild)
“The bear basically, I think, caught him off guard.”
Rocky recalled it all happening ‘so fast,’ Rocky ultimately biting Stephan in the ‘vulnerable spot’ of his neck.
Randy and the rest of the team tried to ‘stop the bear’ using pepper spray, it only taking ‘a matter of seconds’ to get Rocky away from Stephan.
Unfortunately even in that time, it ‘was too late,’ as a post mortem revealed that Stephan died within minutes of being bitten.
Paramedics arrived at around 3:00pm but were unable to re-vive Stephan Miller, the Associated Press reported at the time.
The bear (not pictured) had bitten a ‘vulnerable spot’ of Stephan’s neck, resulting in his death (Marcos del Mazo/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The incident was investigated by the state Department of Fish and Game and Occupational Safety and Health Administration, who refused to rule on whether the bear would need to be euthanized.
After campaigning from animals rights groups, it was decided Rocky’s life would be spared but he wouldn’t be able to work in TV and film anymore or have contact with anyone but his trainers.
He was later cleared to work again before being moved to an animal sanctuary in California.
Miller reflected he didn’t ‘blame the animal’ given the work they do seeing them actively put themselves in ‘vulnerable positions’, and Hollywood filmmaker Nick Palumbo resolved: “Stephan was my best friend. Anybody who killed him I would want to kill, but I don’t believe the bear meant to hurt him.”
Featured Image Credit: National Geographic Wild
