Using trap cameras in the woods, one bear captured 400 "selfies."
If you think that taking selfies is just a human addiction, think again because wildlife animals have adopted this practice as well. In Boulder, Colorado's Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP), officials had placed a camera to shoot the wildlife activities and the living animals there. When they uncovered the snaps captured there, they found that out of a total of 580 images, 400 were selfies taken by a bear.
According to a release, OSMP staff has nine cameras across its 46,000-acre land system. These cameras come to life when an animal steps in front of them. When that happens, the cameras snap a still photograph. The cameras then have the ability to capture video for 10 to 30 seconds. At night, the cameras use infrared light to create photographs that minimise disturbances to nocturnal wildlife.
"The motion-detecting cameras provide us a unique opportunity to learn more about how local species use the landscape around us while minimising our presence in sensitive habitats," said Will Keeley, senior wildlife ecologist for Open Space and Mountain Parks.
"These cameras play an important role in helping OSMP staff identify important wildlife areas. The information we collect from them is used to recommend habitat-protective measures to help protect sensitive natural areas."
The Colorado administration stated that the OSMP places its cameras in corridors where animals are likely to travel, such as road underpasses.
The department also places cameras in areas where there are signs of wildlife activity, such as footprints in the snow or game trails crossing fence lines.