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Wild Bear’s Impressive Balancing Act At Lake Tahoe

Balancing bear
Screenshot from Couple shocked to see ‘tightroping’ bear in Lake Tahoe. Image by ABC7 via Youtube,

Imagine a calm day out at Lake Tahoe, and the next thing a wild bear balancing on a railing comes into your view! How on earth does this massive animal imitate a tightrope walker with such ease? 

Is This Real Life?

Balancing bear
Screenshot from Couple shocked to see ‘tightroping’ bear in Lake Tahoe. Source: Youtube, Uploaded: ABC7

The video (shown later in the article), taken near Lake Tahoe in California is almost hard to believe! If you’ve ever tried to walk on a railing, you would know how difficult it is to keep your balance. Let alone on four paws! 

Balancing Act

Balancing bear
Screenshot from Couple shocked to see ‘tightroping’ bear in Lake Tahoe. Source: Youtube, Uploaded: ABC7

The bear calmly and easily navigates the thin railing – at quite an impressive speed I dare say! Displaying incredible athleticism from an animal we least expect it. 

Not His First Rodeo

Injured Black bear. Image via depositphotos

The ease with which the bear handled his balancing act on the railing, made me wonder about two things. What on earth is on the other side of that railing that would force a bear to perform such an impressive walk? And secondly, he looked way too comfortable for that to be his first time! 

Breaking Stigmas 

American Black Bear Ursus Americanus in lush forest landscape setting. Image via depositphotos

Bears are often painted as clumsy animals, especially in cartoons. Where the reality is that these animals are extremely agile for their size – I mean, look at this bear! And if you think about it, the way bears move and survive in the wild requires a lot of athleticism.

Bear Strength

American Black Bear. Image via Depositphotos.

These fluffy-looking animals are powerful! In their everyday life, they flip rocks, break logs, and even trees in search of food. Their bite is even powerful enough to crush bones! 

Bear Speed

Black Bear walking along a hill. Black Bear Image via Depositphotos.

Even though bears are large animals, they are fast! Some bear species, like the grizzly bear, can run as fast as 35 miles per hour over short distances. 

Climbers

Asian Black Bear Image via Depositphotos

Another ability that proves their athleticism is their climbing ability! Some bear species easily scale trees to escape from danger, or maybe just have some peace for a while. 

Swimmers 

American Black Bear (Ursus Americanus), running on shore, Russian River, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, USA, North America. Image via Depositphotos

Bears are great swimmers! Polar bears are especially strong swimmers as they spend a lot of their time in the water. Yet, black bears and grizzlies aren’t too shabby themselves and easily cross lakes and rivers when needed. 

Bear Endurance 

Black Bear Dominates
Black Bear via Pexels.

Again, breaking the stigma of them being oafish is their endurance! Some species undertake long migrations, and others just have a lot of ground to cover in their territories in search of food or mates during breeding seasons. 

Bear Agility 

Black Bear
Black Bear. Image by Alex Dugquem via Pexels.

As this balancing bear in Lake Tahoe proves – bears are much more agile than their appearance leads on! These animals make quick movements and turns in the wild when they are catching prey or navigating through dense forests. 

Black Bears In Lake Tahoe

Black bear
Black Bear Cub Scratching its head with its paw. Image by Sung Jin Cho on Unsplash

Bears are a well-known part of wildlife in this area and live in the lake’s forests. These animals easily adapt, and are found in various elevations in the area, from the shores to higher mountain areas! 

Quite Shy

Black Bear
Black bears are excellent climbers and can ascend trees with ease, using their strong claws and agile limbs to reach heights of up to 50 feet. Image by Aaron Brewer via Pexels

Going against the performance of the balancing bear, they are actually quite shy and avoid human interaction. However, with the urbanization of the world bears have become more accustomed to human presence. 

What Do They Eat? 

Black bear scratching a tree in a forest. Image by Alexandre Brondino on Unsplash.

Black bears are omnivores and their diets vary with the seasons and food availability. They love berries, nuts, plants, and small animals. Just remember to never feed a wild animal as it could lead to human-bear conflicts.

Bear Seasonal Activities

Black Bear Image via Depositphotos.

During the spring and summer, they are active and spend a lot of their time foraging to build up fat reserves for the winter. And during fall, they enter hyperphagia, a state of increased eating to prepare for hibernation. In the winter, they hibernate in dens they have found or created.

Huma-Bear Interaction

Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) in the autumn forest. Wildlife scene from nature. Black Bear Image via Depositphotos.

Human-bear interactions have increased as more people visit Lake Tahoe. Residents and visitors need to follow guidelines to keep bears wild and prevent them from getting used to human food sources. This includes securing garbage, using bear-proof containers, and not leaving food or scented items in cars or around campsites.

Bear Conservation & Management

Black Bear
Black bear cub. Image by Deposit Photos

Local wildlife agencies and organizations work to manage the bear population and reduce human-bear conflicts. Education programs, bear-proofing initiatives, and regulations on waste management are some of the measures taken to protect both bears and humans.

The Video

Balancing bear
Screenshot from Couple shocked to see ‘tightroping’ bear in Lake Tahoe. Source: Youtube, Uploaded: ABC7
YouTube video
Couple shocked to see ‘tightroping’ bear in Lake Tahoe. Source: Youtube, Uploaded: ABC7

Last Say On The Balancing Bear

Black bear
Black bear. Image via Depositphotos

We love to see animals doing impressive things, and this bear sure did! While breaking the stigma of bears being clumsy in an impressive way! 

Next In Animal News

American black bear (Ursus americanus). Image via Depositphotos
Latest posts by Nelleke van Niekerk, BSc Food Science (Biochemistry) (see all)