OKANOGAN, Wash., Oct. 25 (UPI) — The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife shared video of a “fat” bear enjoying one last back-scratching session before entering hibernation.
The department posted a video to Facebook showing an impressively well-fed bear using a tree to scratch its back in the Washington Cascades.
“This fat bear is about ready for hibernation but got in one more back-scratching session in front of the trail camera that our Okanogan district wildlife biologist Scott Fitkin regularly monitors,” the post said.
The department said the bear appears to be female, but — contrary to theories put forth by some commenters — didn’t reach its impressive girth due to pregnancy.
“She actually wouldn’t ‘show’ pregnancy like that. Bears breed in spring but have delayed implantation and give birth in the winter den in late January or February,” the department said in response to a comment.
