Black Bears

[Tshokwane]

Credits to Bill Lea.

I love to watch bears wrestle and play. It is not something that happens very often, but when It does - it is definitely special. Younger males tend to play most often (not counting sibling cubs, who engage in play all of the time). Such play usually happens when there is an abundant food source where bears have gathered and the young bears have more than adequate body weight. Underweight, hungry bears would seldom, if ever, play.


Such play normally includes mouthing, gentle nipping, pushing, shoving, standing, rolling, and of course, getting dirty. Obviously, some of those same attributes apply to little boys playing and wrestling too. (Remember, bears are so much like us.) In tonight's photo we see one bear applying a "bear hug" on another bear in a "take down" attempt - but it was to no avail. Watching a couple of bears like this just having fun and enjoying life is music to my ears. I love it!

*This image is copyright of its original author

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