Not many people would be brave enough to approach a massive brown bear, let alone snuggle with one. Jim Kowalczik, a staff member at the Orphaned Wildlife Center in Otisville, N.Y., isn't letting fear stop him from being affectionate with a huge brown bear named Jimbo. The animal center uploaded a video showing Jim and Jimbo snuggling together just before Jim gives the bear a nice back rub.
Jimbo is just one of the many bears under the care of the rehabilitation center, that has been helping bears in distress since 2012. As they tell on their website, they have 11 orphaned bears, bears they "have known them all of their lives, and we will always remain committed to them." The reason behind of this commitment and dedication is the importance of a mother bear for her cubs. They explain how the only chance for a helpless cub to survive is the vigilance of their mother, so if a cub happens to lose its mom, organizations such as Orphaned Wildlife Center play a very important role in the survival of these cubs.
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The center just provides safety, food, and care to the orphaned bears, and their major goal "is to provide safety and nurturing to animals that are truly orphaned and prepare them to be returned to a life in the wild. Through our efforts, we hope to encourage people to respect and enjoy our native wildlife." Jimbo seems to be one of their permanent residents, nevertheless. He's one of their oldest bears - 20 years old!, and also their largest at 1400 pounds.
Orphaned Wildlife describes Jimbo as "extremely friendly with people and very good natured," adding that his favorite meal is read meat. They sure forgot to mention how much he loves a good back rub!
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