An outdoor enthusiast who installed a trail camera in the woods of West Virginia has shared an update on one of the camera’s most common yet beloved stars.
A video posted by Kirk Price (@kirkprice_) shows a series of clips of a two-legged black bear that Price has been tracking for some time. The first photo shows the bear looking quite slim, but that’s normal for late summer.
Another video from November showed the bear eating well, and he was also seen chasing off another bear, which Kirk commented was “very impressive.” The bear grew with each clip, and by mid-November he was ready for winter.
“He does this every year. He’s just a fat, healthy bear,” Price said excitedly.
Based on earlier reports, Price believes the bear’s missing front paws may be the result of a birth defect, although many other bears with missing fingers have been victims of traps. Black bears are the smallest bears in North America, and although they have lost much of their historical range, they are still found in approximately 40 states and much of Canada.
As large omnivores, they are both predators and seed dispersers and are an important part of the ecosystem. Their flexible diet and extremely powerful sense of smell can cause conflicts with humans as they prowl for food. Still, attacks are rare, and black bears are easily frightened by loud noises.
This unusual case shows the value of trail cameras as an unobtrusive tool for tracking and understanding wildlife. Some of the most elusive species have been accidentally caught on camera in areas they were not known to live in. Additionally, capturing captivating footage of a species is an ideal way to raise awareness and gain support for local measures to protect wildlife.
Footage of the bear’s “amazing resilience” also serves as a powerful reminder of hunters’ obligation to respect nature.
“I hope other hunters in your area respect him as much as you do,” one commenter wrote. That’s an important point because another upright bear named “Pedal” in New Jersey wasn’t so lucky.
Another said: “You have to respect this bear because he overcame the odds that only the strong would survive. He adapted. It’s incredible and very heartwarming.”
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