Disclaimer: This article was published in 2023. Some information may no longer be current.
A social media-savvy bear—seemingly—has gone viral after taking 400 “selfies” using a Colorado park trail cam.
Amid scores of animals that cross the Open Space & Mountain Parks (OSMP) near Boulder every day, this bear decided to stop in front of one of the park’s nine trail cameras, apparently wanting to have some fun.
The City of Boulder OSMP posted about the unexpected appearance on Facebook:
“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.?”
The bear approaching a trail cam at OSMP, Colorado. Courtesy of The City of Boulder
The bear appears to take a "selfie" in front of a trail cam at OSMP, Colorado. Courtesy of The City of Boulder
The bear showed a variety of positions and expressions while taking selfies at OSMP. Courtesy of The City of Boulder
The wry bear even appeared to blow a raspberry, sticking out its tongue during the appearance. Courtesy of The City of Boulder
OSMP didn’t include all of the inquisitive bears’ mugshots in their Facebook post. But they offered a sampling with the animal staring into the camera, craning its head curiously, and even making faces by sticking its tongue out.
Overall, OSMP was thrilled by the unusual bear encounter.
“Dubbed ‘Selfie Bear,’ this cute creature has gone viral for their adorable selfies,” they stated on their website. “Usually, animals just walk past our wildlife cameras, but this bear took the opportunity to take some selfies with it. Four hundred of them, in fact.”
The bear showed a number of different gestures during the "selfie" session. Courtesy of The City of Boulder
The bear appeared to look into the trail camera during the encounter. Courtesy of The City of Boulder
The bear appears to make faces, sticking out its tongue. Courtesy of The City of Boulder
OSMP uses its camera traps to monitor wildlife across its 46,000-acre land system to discover more about how local wildlife species use the landscape while minimizing staff presence in sensitive habitats.
They regularly post photos of animals that cross paths with their cameras on the trail. Those include birds of prey and owls taking flight, curious wild cats and mountain lions nonchalantly moseying on by, and a mama duck leading a row of scurrying ducklings across a pond.
The bear held several different positions during its appearance. Courtesy of The City of Boulder
The bear was photographed several times with its tongue sticking out during the "selfie" shoot. Courtesy of The City of Boulder
A closeup of the bear looking at the camera. Courtesy of The City of Boulder
The bear appears to be examining the camera closely. Courtesy of The City of Boulder
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