This bear picked a daring place for slumber as she balanced precariously on a tiny branch – 50ft in the air.
The brave four-year-old Brown bear climbed almost to the top of the huge tree just so she could doze and enjoy the stunning forest views that surround her.
She cleverly distributed her weight by placing two paws on one thin branch underneath her and grabbed another in front of her.
Has she twigged the danger? A brave four-year-old Brown bear climbed almost to the top of a huge tree in Norway just so she could doze
Would you believe it? The bear cleverly distributed her weight by placing two paws on one thin branch underneath her and grabbed another in front of her
Who bears wins: Jorgen Tharaldsen, a 41-year-old game designer from Oslo, Norway, was lucky enough to see the bear sitting at the top of the tree
She relaxed for hours up the tree to take in the beautiful views in Fla, Norway.
Jorgen Tharaldsen, a 41-year-old game designer from Oslo, Norway, was lucky enough to see the bear sitting at the top of the tree.
He said: ‘When I first saw her, I could hardly believe the small branches could cover that much weight.
‘It looks like it’s barely enough! But the bear was smart about it, ensuring she distributed weight across the thin branches. It was wonderful to see.
‘As an avid photographer – I never leave the house without my camera – it’s a rare gift to experience such a moment.
‘This was a day where everything simply aligned in a perfect way.
‘The emotion of the bear, the unlikely location, the afternoon nordic light, the weather, the depth of the image with the valley kilometers behind the bear, and the autumn colors of nature were all perfect.
Content: The bear relaxed for hours at the top of the tree, taking in the view and snoozing
Out of harm’s way: Mr. Tharaldsen, who photographed the bear, thinks the fact that a large male bear prowling the forest floor may have been an added incentive for her to climb the tree
Upping the ante: The bear was perched on a branch 50 feet up
‘At the same time the trees looked so fragile, and they were, so it seemed like an impossible feat of bear bravery.
‘I was getting a sense of melancholy from her, sitting in that tall thin tree as the colors of autumn were all around her. But not being entirely free.
‘She was sitting there for hours on end. I never saw her go up, or down, just shifting the position around as she enjoyed the beautiful autumn day.
‘Brown bears are expert climbers. They climb from a very young age, just for fun and to play, but also to gather food or to get a good lookout at the forest environment.
‘This one was there for the view, and to get away from the rest of the family in the park.
‘There was also a massive male brown bear on the ground, perhaps twice her size, and I reckon it was easier to simply hang out up there.
Expert climbers: Bears learn to clamber around trees from an early age
‘Fla in Norway is a little community around two hours drive outside Oslo.
‘They also have a bear park and carnivore research center where you get to see the bears in their natural environment.
‘I was there to photograph animals and had been in the Hallingdal valley for three days to capture nordic animals.
‘While we still have wild bears in Norway, they are extremely rare in the populated central parts of the country.
‘I knew this to be a place where I could get close to bears while knowing they are in a park environment where they are respected, thrive, and are studied.
‘The bears there keep on giving birth to new cubs, showing they are fond of the area.’
