A Hollywood animal trainer with years of experience working with exotic creatures has been mauled to death by a grizzly bear he helped raise from infancy, in a tragic stunt that went horrifically wrong.
The Fatal Encounter
Stephan Miller, aged 39, was assisting his cousin Randy Miller at the Predators in Action animal training centre in the San Bernardino mountains near Los Angeles when the incident occurred. The experienced trainer was helping film a promotional video with Rocky, a massive grizzly bear standing 7.5 feet tall and weighing approximately 50 stone.
The five-year-old grizzly had been trained around humans and even previously wrestled with Stephan in the 2008 comedy film Semi-Pro, where Miller served as a body double for Will Ferrell. On the day of the attack in 2008, everything seemed normal as the pair brought the bear out for what should have been a playful advertising segment.
Seconds of Terror
Without warning, Rocky suddenly lunged at Stephan's neck, catching the experienced handler completely off guard. The bear bit Miller in what witnesses described as a "vulnerable spot," initiating a frantic rescue attempt.
Other handlers immediately used pepper spray to subdue the massive animal and managed to separate Rocky from Stephan within mere seconds. Paramedics rushed to the scene but were unable to revive the trainer, who died minutes after the bite. The tragedy left behind a devastated wife and two children.
Randy Miller, who had been raising exotic animals for over 25 years and built his business on action sequences and staged attacks, told Associated Press: "It happened so fast. We did what we had to do to stop the bear. It took a matter of seconds to get him off, but it was too late."
Aftermath and Investigation
Describing the lead-up to the fatal incident, Randy explained to ShareNow.com that Stephan had been bonding with the bear throughout the day. "He was bonding with the bear, hanging with the bear, talking to him for the day," Randy recalled. "He did a photoshoot a few months prior, but hadn't seen him for a while, so he came up and started bonding with the bear."
According to witnesses, the bear initially appeared friendly and seemed to be acting as if it was going to lick or kiss Stephan before unexpectedly lashing out. The California Department of Fish and Game and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration both launched investigations into the incident.
Following pressure from animal rights groups, authorities spared Rocky's life and transferred him to an animal sanctuary in California. At the time of the incident, San Bernardino Sheriff's spokeswoman Jodi Miller confirmed that the training centre possessed all relevant permits required for such filming activities.
The facility housed numerous other exotic animals including two brown bears, a black bear, various snakes and reptiles, an alligator, crocodile, leopard, mountain lion, four African lions and four tigers.
Hollywood filmmaker Nick Palumbo, who occasionally visited Stephan and Randy while they worked with the grizzly, reflected: "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. Stephan loved the bear. He and his cousin raised it."
