We've all had an itch we just can't scratch—even grizzly bears. Comical photos surfaced of an enormous grizzly bear using a storage shed as a scratching post to get at a spot he just couldn't reach. In addition to being just plain funny, the images of the behemoth grizzly make the shed look like a dollhouse next to him, really driling home just how gigantic these creatures can get.
The images shared by Jamie Goguen of Montana to Instagram and Facebook show this big guy in various stages of rubbing against the shed. In one photo, he almost appears to be smiling and waving, open-mouthed with his right paw stretched high up in the air.
This behavior of rubbing against trees has long been accepted both as a way to scratch and let other bears know they are there. But research published earlier this year suggests there may be another benefit: natural tick repellent.
Considering the bear is using a human-made structure here though, it's pretty safe to assume this huge grizzly was scratching an itch or marking his scent—and with that big smile on his face we think we know the answer.
Goguen is calling this giant Brutus, perhaps for bearing resemblance (pardon the pun) in size to Brutus the Bear, the celebrity grizzly who appeared in several films, commercials, and live educational shows.
How Big Is Brutus?
Because the structure in the photos is a shed rather than a house, many have expressed doubt over the true size of this grizzly. Justine Vallieres, a Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Wildlife Management Specialist, estimates this big guy to weigh in at around 700 to 800 pounds. The average male grizzly weighs somewhere in the range of 400 to 600 pounds according to The National Wildlife Federation, which means our itchy friend could weigh twice as much as an average male.
Though he's not as big as the largest grizzlies ever reported, it's clear to see from the photos that Brutus is large, dwarfing the generator storage shed in the photos. Whether he's truly enormous or just large-compared-to-a-large-shed, he's still a grizzly, which inherently makes him a big wild animal that you wouldn't want a run-in with in the wild.
Goguen shared that these images were captured from trail cameras, meaning there was no need to get up close and personal to capture these cool photos, and they serve as a good reminder to carry bear spray when out in grizzly territory.
After using the shed to scratch those hard-to-reach spots, Brutus can be seen taking a nap next to the shed, and who can blame him? That's hard work for a big bear like him.
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