Fact1: spotter to locate schools of fish for local fishermen to catch, Fact2: Mark starts to make reserve friends only to have protective mother bear, Fact3: Mark watches horrified as gang of poachers led by local fisherman and bully Fog Hanson While hidden in shoot mother bear tree, Fact4: Tom and friend throw Fog and gang off pier, Fact5: Tom 's plane crashes leading him to accept job as wildlife officer in Everglades
Output: Tom Dennis Weaver and Ellen Wedloe Vera Miles live with their young son Mark Clint Howard near a Florida game reserve. Tom is a pilot who works as a spotter to locate schools of fish for the local fishermen to catch, but recently fish have been scarce, causing economic hardship for the local fishermen and Tom. Young Mark loves animals of all kinds. One day Mark is exploring the reserve when he encounters a black bear cub, and starts to make friends with it, only to have the protective mother bear appear and chase Mark up a tree. While still hidden in the tree, Mark watches, horrified, as a gang of poachers, led by local fisherman and bully Fog Hanson Ralph Meeker, illegally shoot the mother bear and capture the cub. Mark reports the poaching to the local wildlife officer, who fines Fog. The angry Fog and his buddies try to beat up Tom in retaliation for Marks reporting and because they blame Tom for not spotting any fish for them lately, but Tom and his friend the local justice of the peace win the fight and throw Fog and his gang off the pier. Fog inhumanely chains the captured cub in a dark shack with inadequate food or exercise. Despite his parents warnings to stay away from Fogs property, Mark sneaks onto Fogs property repeatedly to feed and exercise the cub, whom he names Ben. As Ben grows bigger, he and Mark become close friends. Eventually, Fog catches Mark trespassing. Tom forbids Mark from ever visiting Ben again, while Fog plans to kill Ben and sell him for meat. Mark disregards his fathers warning to rescue Ben, taking him into the wilderness to set him free. However, Ben refuses to leave Mark, and the pair are caught. Tom finally buys Ben from Fog to save Bens life. Mark and Ben are happy for a time, but when walking with Ben one day, Fog and his gang show up and threaten Mark and Ben. Ben finally fights back and mauls Fog. Because Ben has now attacked a person, even though Mark argues it was justified, the Wedloes are forced to give Ben away to a zoo. Mark sadly says goodbye to Ben as his cage is loaded onto a boat for the trip to the zoo. En route to the zoo, Ben breaks out of his cage and swims ashore, escaping into the woods. Meanwhile, Toms plane crashes, leading him to accept a job as a wildlife officer in the Everglades. While searching for poachers, Tom is charged by a large bear and recognizes the bear as Ben. Mark is excited to hear that Ben is nearby and insists Ben wouldnt do any harm, but Tom disagrees, stating that Ben has become dangerous and must be killed. Tom hunts for Ben with his rifle, and Mark follows, trying to save Ben. Tom finally spots Ben and is about to fire when a tree suddenly falls on Tom and pins him to the ground. At Marks direction, Ben gently rolls the tree off Tom. Ben then leads Tom and Mark to his new family — a female bear and newborn cubs that he was protecting when he first charged Tom. In view of circumstances, Tom spares Bens life, and Ben and Mark renew their friendship.