No doubt about it, grizzly bears are powerful animals. Their large bodies are capable of great feats of strength, and they can even push down small trees. They can also be highly territorial, aggressive, and if you get between a mother and her cub? Big trouble.
All of this is a good motivator to keep your wits about you and carry a whistle when hiking through the North American wilderness. In fact, other than a moose in rutting season, a grizzly bear is probably one of the scariest animals to come across in the woods.
But that all seems a bit hard to believe when watching this video of a bear playing around with a bale of hay. As the bear rolls onto its back and juggles the bale between its paws, it seems more like an innocent cub, learning how to better control its body. (Of course until you remember just how heavy a bale of hay can be.)
The bear is named Hugo, and she is a resident at the Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Centre. With all of her base needs cared for, it’s no surprise that Hugo passes the time by having some fun.
It’s a great reminder that animals are thoughtful, complex creatures, capable of play behaviour well into their adult years. Thanks to YouTube user Derrick M. for the great video, which was hopefully taken from a safe distance. After all, after just a little bit of being batted around, that hay bale is pretty banged up.
