Wesley Larson, 31, is seen here crawling into a unusually deep and narrow 70 foot den checking to see if the tranquilizer dart has taken affect in to replace the radio collar on a 320lb male black bear near Bryce Canyon National Park. Minutes earlier, Wes disappeared into the den of this hibernating bear armed with only a short aluminum pole attached to a tranquilizer dart. The tunnel was only as big as the bear with no escape except a very quick 50 foot backwards crawl should he decide to charge. Wes frequently shares his tangles with wildlife on Instagram and has amassed a large following of inspired adventurers.
Wesley Larson, 31, is a masters student at Brigham Young University who is currently doing his thesis research on black bear (Ursus Americanus) populations around Bryce Canyon National Park. The study is looking at the way that bears in the area are using both natural and human sources of food, and the is designed to help Bryce Canyon National Park avoid any problems with bears that could potentially see campgrounds and other human features as easy food sources. This kind of research is important in an areas like Bryce Canyon which sees a lot of tourism as it benefits both bears and humans.
Unplugging the Selfie Generation
Cover story for National Geographic Magazine - October, 2016
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