A B.C. photographer hid in the bushes as a grizzly bear wandered up to his camera and started studying the buttons, gently pulling the strap before sauntering off to fish.

Jim Lawrence from Revelstoke, B.C., said he saw the grizzly bear fishing for Kokanee and wandering upstream. He set up his camera, but before he could take a photo, the bear crossed the river towards him. Lawrence ran to get another camera from his truck. When he returned, he found the big bear standing on its hind legs looking at his equipment.

“For the longest time, he studied the screen and the buttons, then, with a huge long-nailed paw, gently tugged on the strap. The weight of the long lens caused the camera to pivot quickly upward, startling the big fellow,” he told the Star.

When asked if he was concerned the bear may break his equipment, he said “it crossed my mind.”

RELATED

Lawrence submitted a photograph to the CBC’s Listeners’ Lens gallery and then posted it on Facebook. Much to Lawrence’s surprise, the photo has gone viral. As of Monday, it was shared more than 6,000 times.

“Who knows why it went viral. Maybe it’s because the bear has such a human look,” he said.

A wildlife photographer for more than 50 years, Lawrence has immense respect for the large brown animal.

“They are just fascinating. They are wonderful animals,” he said. “They are intelligent; they have expressive faces, nice eyes. We can coexist with bears. There is no need to be afraid.”

Lawrence notes that 300 grizzly bears were shot in British Columbia last year during the bi-annual trophy hunt. This practice has been prohibited in many other provinces, including Alberta, which banned the hunt in 2006. The grizzly was declared a threatened species in Alberta in 2010.

Lawrence predicts that another 300 bears will be killed this year in B.C.

On his website, Lawrence writes that it is “an honour to be granted observation privileges over an animal’s life.” He hopes the government can see that wildlife viewing can bring in just as much capital as the trophy hunt, so that these animals can be protected.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Read more about: