Animals love to have fun just as much as we do. Oftentimes, when scientists try to unpack certain animal behaviors, there is no real answer other than, “they just want to have fun!”
This Syrian brown bear named Bruiser is certainly a bit of a party animal himself.
Bruiser lives in Florida at Single Vision Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary gives endangered species and displaced animals a comfortable life while striving to educate the community about our impact on wildlife. They house everything from bears like Bruiser, to lions, tigers, and other big cats, to more exotic animals like lemurs.
It’s very important to provide animals in captivity with plenty of physical and mental stimulation.
Bears are especially curious animals that love to investigate and engage with their surroundings. Zoos are constantly having to re-tool their bear exhibits as the strong mammals chew through objects, push boulders around, and dig up the earth. While it’s great that the bears are stimulated, I bet that it’s a real struggle for the handlers to keep up with their bears!
Keeping bears in captivity isn’t easy, but it is often necessary for their well-being. For example, if a bear was orphaned and stood no chance of survival, captivity is certainly the better option compared to death. But just because an animal is raised in captivity doesn’t mean that all instinctual habits are lost. It’s also so important for people to learn about and be aware of the animals that share this earth with us.
One thing that bears love to do both in and out of captivity is to take a nice refreshing swim. Especially on super hot days like the ones we’ve been experiencing lately, a nice cool dip really hits the spot.
Some folks have even witnessed wild bears using their pools and hot tubs as a way to relieve themselves from the heat, or even just to relax. Just take a look at these adorable black bears going for a dip in someone’s backyard.
Bruiser seems to be a big fan of the pool at Single Vision Wildlife Sanctuary. It’s remarkable how almost human-like he looks as he climbs up the ladder and tosses himself into the blue water with a big splash. You can see how happy he is as he bobs around the pool, reaching for his surfboard.
There’s no doubt in my mind that this bear lives a life of luxury at his home of Single Vision Wildlife Sanctuary.
It’s also so cute how he comes up to the edge of the pool to say hello to the person holding the camera. While, in the wild, you’d want to watch a bathing bear from a distance, these handlers have tons of experience with the animals that they care for on a daily basis.
Bruiser’s friend doesn’t seem to be as interested in the pool. I bet Bruiser would be happy to have a swimming partner! Maybe he’ll convince him to take a dip later on.
It’s so lovely to see animals so happy and playful like this. It’s a nice reminder to let yourself loose sometimes and enjoy the simpler things in life, too. Sometimes all you need is to embrace your inner Bruiser and take a big leap into the pool!
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