This rescued animal certainly looks like he knows how to enjoy the simple BEAR necessities as he enjoys a remarkably human-like moment relaxing in a hammock.
Social media has been lit up recently with sightings of supposed ‘people dressed in bear costumes’ across the Far East, but rest assured this furry photo star is definitely the real thing.
Bouncer, the Asiatic black bear, was pictured by British photojournalist Amy Jones during a trip to the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) rescue sanctuary.
Ms Jones, 29, said Bouncer had been severely injured by a snare that sadly meant he had to have one leg amputated and could never return to the wild.
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Bouncer hasn’t let his injury hold him back and Ms Jones said he regularly enjoys climbing into his favourite hammock at the sanctuary for a swing every evening.
As these photographs show, Bouncer looks like a person enjoying a paradise holiday chomping away on a piece of fruit.
Ms Jones, from Brighton, said: “In the afternoons at around 5.30pm, he’ll climb into his favourite hammock and spend the evening gently swaying while clutching a piece of watermelon in his paw.”
She added that seeing the rescued bear still being able to enjoy himself “made me smile”, and that “it reminded me that all animals deserve to feel the same safety, peace and joy that Bouncer does when he’s in his hammock with a piece of watermelon”.
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Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) provides emergency life-saving care to wild animals injured throughout the southeast Asian country and offers sanctuary to those too injured to return to the wild.
Ms Jones explained: “When he (Bouncer) was just a cub, his leg got caught in a snare.
“Thankfully, WFFT was able to answer the call to provide him with emergency life-saving care.
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“Due to the severity of the injury, Bouncer’s leg had to be amputated, meaning he could sadly never be returned to the wild.
“Instead, he found a forever home at WFFT’s wildlife sanctuary, where the dedicated staff raised him from a scared little cub, into the beautiful bear he is today.
“That’s why sanctuaries like WFFT are so important for animals who sadly cannot be returned to the wild.”
Ms Jones added that Bouncer is “quite a shy individual” who spends his days exploring and relaxing.
She said: “He has always enjoyed climbing and can typically be found clambering up the structures in his habitat that include lookout towers.”
Bouncer’s carefree existence now is a world away from the moment he was fought for his life after being trapped in a snare. A photograph from the time of his operation shows how the young bear had to have his leg removed to save his life.
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