Video Shows Life Through the Jaws of a Missouri Bear

Have you ever wondered what life looks like through the eyes of a bear? Wonder no more as there is video that was captured by conservationists in Missouri of black bears living their best lives.

It was many years ago that the Missouri Department of Conservation shared an interesting viewpoint of life as a bear

I believe this was back in the late Spring/early summer of 2012 when conservation agents in Missouri really started digging in (no bear pun intended) to the growing bear population in the state in an effort to more fully understand their habits and behaviors. The result is a viewpoint unlike anything you'll ever see from the eyes of a bear (or the neck area, more accurately). Look at how big my tongue is!

There's a lot of lumbering around, sniffing, drinking water and other bear life necessities. Look at how big that foot and claws are when you look down. Yikes.

If you're thinking, that seems cruel for the bears, don't. These cameras were designed to fall off easily which is exactly what happens in the video shared by the Missouri Department of Conservation. The concept is that the agents can locate the cameras later after the bears drop them to see what life is like through their eyes.

This effort was a part of the Missouri Department of Conservation's Black Bear Project. They studied "black bear demographics including abundance, sex ratios, population growth rate, and spatial distribution" so they could develop a more educated management strategy to protect the animals and also the people that are increasingly living in bear country as the population continues to expand. It's estimated there are more than 1,000 bears in Missouri now. Thanks to the bear cam project, you can understand a little more about what all of these apex predators see when they're doing bear things in Missouri.