A bear in Colorado used a wildlife camera to take more than four hundred selfies.
The motion-detecting camera had been set up in Boulder by city officials to keep track of the wildlife across its 46,000 acres of land, including deer, beavers, bald eagles and even lynx.
The camera clearly caught the interest of a black bear, whose motion triggered it into capturing hundreds of images while the bear struck a small variety of poses.
Bears usually spend the winter months in their dens, between mid-December and mid-March. This bear did not come out of hibernation for the photoshoot - the pictures were taken back in November.
Of the 580 photos that were reviewed by park staff, more than 400 were of the bear.
A bear in Colorado used a wildlife camera to take more than four hundred selfies
The black bear struck a variety of poses as it was captured in more than 400 photos last November
In one of the selfies the bear took a profile shot with its tongue extended
The camera was one of nine set up by Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks.
'This bear discovered the ranger's wildlife camera Wednesday night. Of the 580 photos, about 400 were bear selfies,' they wrote in a caption to a post containing just a handful of the selfies.
That left many eager to see the remainder, with one person making demands to the park authority. 'Please send the other 390,' they wrote.
On Twitter a meteorologist for the Weather Channel, Paul Matadeen, asked politely: 'Would you be able to provide a link to the folder with all the images?' It is unclear why he wanted the hundreds of images.
Some users suggested that the bear looked especially good in certain pictures, and should therefore consider using those specific images on its Tinder profile.
The wildlife cameras turn on and capture a photo when an animal steps in front of them, but they can also record video.
'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,' said Will Keeley, senior wildlife ecologist for Open Space and Mountain Parks, on a city website.
Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks uploaded only a handful of the 400 images
Some people suggested that the bear looked especially good in certain pictures
Others demanded that the park authority release the remaining images that were withheld
'These cameras play an important 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.'
The cameras are generally placed in high traffic areas where the likelihood of spotting wildlife is high.
'Sometimes we put cameras in locations where we think we'll encounter enigmatic fauna like American beavers or black bears,' said Christian Nunes, a wildlife ecologist with OSMP.
He added: 'These cameras help us to learn what animals are really out there, and what they are up to over the course of a day, a week, or even years.'
Now we know.
English (United States) ·