Journal Notes
THE BEAR ADDED INSULT TO INJURY . . .
Every photographer knows that the most valuable shot is often "the shot nobody else can get". This image of a bear inspecting Robert's tripod reminds me of one such effort to get that 'elusive' image. A local 'guide' offered that opportunity to a dear friend of ours to photograph a very large boar away from the crowds of other photographers. The two of them set out across the dryer parts of the Salmon River making their way across and around the hundreds of downed trunks of giant trees that had washed downstream when the river had flooded. They did eventually sight the boar making its way toward them not far away. They took refuge behind a massive trunk although the 'guide' maintained that the bear 'surely was not aware of their presence'. Considering the giant size of the nasal cavity of a bear, that is almost always a big mistake and it was in this case, too. The huge boar continued to advance toward them and they decided to abandon the tripod and camera equipment and they retreated farther away. The boar inspected all of our friend's equipment, sniffing and turning it over and over. He then stepped down hard where the larger camera and lens were attached to the tripod and they heard an ominous crack. The boar stepped back, sniffed the air and then, to add insult to injury, the boar stepped up and peed on all of the equipment! (Fortunately, our friend had a small camera he carried on a strap around his neck and he was able to record the event and submit a claim to his insurance company!)
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