Spring in Siberia is coming into its own more and more confidently. Already summer-like warm weather forced the forest dwellers to start water activities. The employees at the Krasnoyarsk Stolby National Park received pictures from a camera trap, which show how an impressive-sized brown bear is bathing in a pond.
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“After entering the water, the predator plunges its muzzle (as you know, the nose of a bear is a particularly sensitive organ), and then lies down in a deep and comfortable place, where it relaxes – stretches out to its full length. The duration of water activities for bears is usually about two minutes. Bathing in a pond is very useful for them, since during the long winter ticks and fleas latch on to the skin, penetrate under the skin and cause itching in animals. Shaking also helps to wash the parasites out," said Vladimir Kozhechkin, a leading researcher at the national park.
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The abnormal 30-degree heat has been persisting in Krasnoyarsk for about a week now. This is more than ten degrees above the norm, as local forecasters say. However, bears are not interested in the temperature of the water. Thanks to the fat layer, physically healthy animals retain heat well and are not particularly sensitive to cold water.