Viral Photo Shows a Stuffed Bear On a Ski Lift
The Claim
A viral image shows a bear who spent two hours riding a ski lift.
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On June 18, a social media user shared a picture of what appears to be a bear on a ski lift, along with the caption, “A full-grown brown bear is safe after a nearly two-hour ride on a chair-lift at a ski resort near Vail, Colorado!” The post was shared almost 30,000 times.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar has discovered that the photo actually shows a stuffed bear riding a ski lift at the Ski Valley resort in Mt. Lemmon, Arizona. According to USAToday.com, the stuffed bear has been riding the chair lift every day for about 20 years. The original bear was purchased by a guest and has been replaced once in 20 years.
While the original post is fake, bears are known to accomplish some amazing feats. In fact, there is a whole site dedicated to funny bear pictures imitating humans including these:
Our relationship with bears is complicated. On the one hand, they are considered to be one of the most intelligent animals in North America and have been held in awe by Native Americans, according to PBS.org. They are considered dangerous in most situations while at the same time revered as a comfort animal to children.
