Trail Cam Captures Touching Video of Bear Taking Outdoor Bath After Terrible Injury

Wildlife watching can be exciting, rewarding, educational, and even heartbreaking, as you come to know animals who are then subject to the violence and disinterest of Mother Nature. For Amy, a trail camera observer in the mountains of western North Carolina, there’s nothing that brings her more joy than watching her favorite bears appear year after year on her videos—especially when she caught a very special glimpse of one she never thought she’s see again.

“This isn’t just another lovely male bear lounging in the Rub-a-Dub-Tub, playing with a rubber ducky,” she writes in the caption of this video of a black bear taking a bath. “This is one of my most favorite male bears, ever.”

Related: Bear Attempts to Break Into a Hot Tub for a Soak and People Are Here for It

Scruffy is the name Amy has given to one of her male bears, one that she likes particularly because of his open, friendly personality with other bears in the area.

Male Bear Behavior

“We all tend to think of adult male bears as only competing and fighting one another during bear mating season, but I have seen time and time again, evidence of true camaraderie among adult male bears during mating season, instead,” she writes. “I’ve seen many, many adult males—somewhat younger, yet still clearly of breeding age—traveling together, amicably, and cooperatively during bear mating season. I’ve even seen them seemingly trading partners on the same day, too.”

Wow. Go, bears.

She says Scruffy often gave “tours” of the area she monitors to other male bears during mating season, as if showing off his favorite spots.

But, last fall, Scruffy got hurt. Badly.

The Saga of Scruffy the Bear

Late last autumn, Amy got footage of an injured, emaciated bear, and was saddened to recognize him as her beloved Scruffy.

“He was most likely hit by a car, or injured in a great fall. He couldn’t use one of his hind legs at all. He couldn’t put any weight on it.”

She went on to say that Scruffy seemed to have lost at least one hundred pounds as a result of his injury. “His leg just hung limply behind him, like dead weight, as he slowly dragged himself past my cameras, wincing and grimacing with every step.”

She doubted that the animal, as thin and injured as he was, would survive to make it through the winter. She didn’t think he could move well enough, or find enough food to sustain himself.

So seeing Scruffy again, especially looking so much more healthy, was a real blessing.

“I thought I would never get to see this favorite bear again,” she writes. “He is still seriously hampered by his injury, but he’s used to compensating for it by now, and is getting around relatively well.”

Amy doesn’t know how Scruffy made it through the winter, but he’s doing much better now, as this adorable video shows. In the clip, Scruffy is seen climbing into the bathing tub she’s put out to help the bears cool themselves and relax in the forest, and even playing with the rubber ducky she’s placed there for her amusement.

Ah, bears. They’re just like us.

And long live Scruffy.

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