A trail camera captured a “groovy” brown bear returning to the same tree to scratch and spread its scent, footage released by Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park shows.
This video shows one brown bear who had been seen feeding on salmon in a nearby stream repeatedly rubbing and scratching itself on a tree, the park said. This scratching is a way for the bear to spread its scent and mark territory, according to park officials.
They added that other mammals in Glacier Bay, such as wolves, also use bear “rub trees” as “scent posts for communication.”
Glacier Bay National Park wrote on Facebook: “A bear’s necessities: a good back scratch, belly full of berries, and a groovy hip boogie before going on your way. Ah, the simple things in life.”
Credit: Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve via Storyful