black bear face

Black Bear Steals Wildlife Cam, Takes 400 Selfies

This curious black bear is set for all the dating apps after snatching a City of Boulder wildlife cam and snapping a good 400 selfies.

Known for their curiosity and explorative nature, the American black bear (Ursus americanus) hardly ever meets an object they won’t toy with. And while this makes them especially prone to habitation through dumpster diving and trash can exploitation, it can also result in hundreds of hysterical selfies.

“Recently, a bear discovered a wildlife camera that we use to monitor wildlife across Boulder open space. Of the 580 photos captured, about 400 were bear selfies,” tweets Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks Monday. As the organization cites, this handsome bear discovered a ranger’s wildlife camera just before settling down for the winter last November. And from sticking out his tongue to waving at the camera, his shenanigans make for top-tier wildlife selfies.

Take a look at 10 of his best shots below:

As their website states, Boulder, Colorado’s OSMP has 9 cameras across its 46,000-acre land system. Each helps the department learn more about how local wildlife species use the surrounding landscape. It also minimizes staff presence in sensitive habitats, which is crucial.

Currently, black bears are the only bear species present in Colorado. Grizzly bears, or brown bears (Ursus arctos) have been considered extirpated (locally extinct) in the state since the 1950s.

Motion Cameras Give Otherwise Impossible Glimpses into the Lives of Black Bears

“The motion-detecting cameras provide us a unique opportunity to learn more about how local species use the landscape around us while minimizing our presence in sensitive habitats,” offers Will Keeley, senior wildlife ecologist for Open Space and Mountain Parks.

Wildlife cameras play a vital role in helping OSMP staff identify important wildlife areas. “The information we collect from them is used to recommend habitat-protective measures to help protect sensitive natural areas,” Keely continues.

Previous to their invention, the lives of animals could not be truly studied completely impartially. Even the most skilled of wildlife photographers would still have to enter a bear’s habitat. This brings their scent, along with many others, into an ecosystem. Even if minutely, entering a wild space will always change the dynamics of that place. And as excellent smellers, black bears can pick up curious scents from over a mile away.

Placing a motion sensor camera in the wild is the best way we have to see wildlife in action without otherwise altering their habitat. Yet as this curious black bear shows, it is far from a fool-proof method. If 400 bear selfies are the price wildlife biologists have to pay for material, however, I’d say we’re still in good hands. Or paws, rather.