It’s lunchtime, and Teddy already knows his place: the picnic table.
No eating on the ground. This black bear at the Lions Tigers & Bears sanctuary in San Diego, California, settles onto the bench, rests his forearms on the wood and holds his snack in his hands, with the poise of someone waiting to be served a second helping.
Indian black bears are expert foragers: between 70 and 90% of their diet is plant-based, and they feed on fruit, nuts, herbs, roots, fungi, and even honey. From time to time, they also include insects and small animals.
At the sanctuary, Teddy and his companions eat a balanced diet with enrichment that encourages their natural foraging behaviors, to keep them healthy and active. The picnic table, though, seems to have been his idea.