I have this theory that bears are compelling because they look like one of those mythological portmanteaus of animals, like God mixed up a dog and a stubby-armed ape in a dream.
That’s why, I think, it’s so funny to watch this black bear awkwardly climb a rope for a tasty beaver some human left there. It climbs a tree easily enough, but its stunted arms means it navigates a rope like the world’s least effective gorilla. And of course, few animal tropes are funnier than a dog eagerly, dumbly going for a bite of food, oblivious to physical restraints.
Pat Garrett, who helps run Garrett Brothers hunting trips in Alerta, Canada, shot the video in late February. I won’t spoil the ending, but rest assured it combines high-rise hungry-bear tension—will the bear get its prize?—with Garrett’s infectious laughter. Mixed up like an only slightly less inspired dream.
Photo via GarrettBrosHunting/YouTube