Colorado bear takes 400 ‘selfies’ on trail camera

A Colorado bear has stepped into the spotlight after taking hundreds of “selfies” on a park ranger’s observational camera.

The apparent photo shoot took place on one of nine motion-detecting cameras in the Open Space and Mountain Parks system, which spans 46,000 acres.

These cameras are set to passively capture photos and videos that help give insight into the movements and habits of the local species. The park places its cameras in areas likely to have animal traffic, or where signs of wildlife activity such as footprints have previously been seen.

“(The cameras) provide us a unique opportunity to learn more about how local species use the landscape around us while minimizing our presence in sensitive habitats,” said Will Keeley, senior wildlife ecologist for OSMP.

While these cameras typically capture animals going about their normal lives, park officials were amused to find nearly 400 images of the same bear, according to an Instagram post by the OSMP.

In a blog post, OSMP wildlife ecologist Christian Nunes said, “We are fortunate to live in an area with a rich diversity of wildlife species, and these cameras help us to learn what animals are really out there, and what they are up to over the course of a day, a week, or even years.”

According to Colorado Parks & Wildlife, the state has about 8,000 to 12,000 black bears, which actually range in color from blonde, cinnamon or brown. The black bear is the only known bear species in Colorado, CPW says.