The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department shared one of the cutest and funniest videos you'll see all week. It shows a happy https://www.wideopenspaces.com/vermont-to-outlaw-the-sale-of-bear-body-parts-on-july-1-find-out-what-parts/black bear ripping a loud fart while rolling on the ground. "Bears are at their best when they're in the wild," reads the caption.
And many who saw the video got a good laugh as they relate to it. In the comments, people said things like "everybody does it" and "you can bet that's a male," but state wildlife officials had a more serious reason for posting it.
They added in the caption: "Secure your trash and food sources, keep bird feeders away and protect your livestock so we can keep our bears wild, just like this one!"
Why so serious about black bears
The video was shared with the agency by Bob Etzweiler, a wildlife tracker and educator at the Vermont Wilderness School. He told local media that he shared the video to help raise awareness of bears in the area. "We can coexist, and we have to coexist, right?" he said of the relationship between humans and bears. "So it's a good example of that happening."
Etzweiler captured the moment using a trail cam in a forest area in Marlboro, Vermont. He told the news station that he wanted to remind people that Marlboro forests are bear country. While humans may live there, bears were there first and it's important to respect those boundaries.
His attitude reflects Vermont's wildlife epartment's "Bear Aware" campaign, which promotes guidance for living and recreating among bears.
How to be "bear aware"
According to the Vermont Wildlife Department, understanding how to cohabitate with bears and following some simple guidelines will ensure both human and black bear safety. On the department's website, it lists rules like:
- Never approach or attempt to chase off a bear. Instead, make loud noises like banging pots and pans together.
- Only put out birdfeeders between Dec. 1 and April 1. Outside of those dates, the feeder might attract bears.
- Keep garbage and trashcans secure by keeping them stored in a well-constructed place.
- Never, ever feed a bear. It is against state law to do so. Also, officials remind people that "a fed bear is a dead bear," meaning once a bear starts eating human food, it'll keep coming back, which could eventually pose problems.
