Watch how a conservationist goes above and beyond to ensure black bears' protection

You’d have to be brave to do what Montana-born bear biologist Wesley Larson, aka “GrizKid,” does for a living. As a master’s student in wildlife conservation, Larson’s love for animals and the outdoors has taken him to some faraway places. Early in his career, Larson worked with polar bears in the untamed wilderness of Alaska’s North Slope. He then shifted his attention to black bears living in Utah’s Bryce Canyon National Park.

With its breathtaking terrain and miles of hiking paths, Bryce Canyon gets a fair share of human foot traffic. However, the canyon is also home to black bears. For people like Larson, making sure that the two-legged visitors and the furry four-pawed natives keep their distance is an important job. It can also be a little dangerous.

To keep tabs on the canyon’s bear population, the animals are equipped with a GPS collar. The collared bears are then given regular checkups, a task not for the faint at heart. Larson has to crawl into a bear’s den in order to first sedate the animal, according to Great Big Story.

As you can see in the video below, a bear’s abode isn’t always very spacious. Many dens are cramped and are just big enough for the bears themselves. Larson has little room to maneuver if something were to go wrong.

However, once the bear has dozed off, Larson and his team of biologists give the animal a thorough check up before releasing it back into the wild. It’s all in a day’s work for GrizKid.