According to local officials, a curious bear has become the surprise star of wildlife cameras set up in Boulder, Colorado, taking hundreds of “selfies” in an apparent impromptu photoshoot.
The city’s Open Space and Mountain Parks team set out to track animals in the area with motion-capture cameras, but they were surprised to discover that nearly 400 of the 580 images captured by one camera were of the same bear.
While the cameras frequently capture animals in the wild, such as coyotes, beavers, and black bears, officials say most creatures don’t notice the devices and simply “walk on by.” This bear, on the other hand, appeared to be captivated by the camera.
“In this instance, a bear took a special interest in one of our wildlife cameras and took the opportunity to capture hundreds of ‘selfies,'” Phillip Yates, a spokesperson for Open Space and Mountain Parks, said in a statement Thursday.
“These pictures made us laugh, and we thought others would, too,” Yates explained
When the cameras detect an animal in front of them, they activate, and the images are used to map wildlife areas and “provide us with a unique opportunity to learn more about how local species use the landscape around us while minimizing our presence in sensitive habitats,” according to Yates.
While officials may not have expected photo shoots to be among them, Yates says the images captured by the wildlife cameras can also be used to help recommend measures to protect important natural areas.
