Bathing Beast

Step 1. Head for the pond

Step 2. Dive in

Step 3. Play!

Step 4. Practice water ballet

Step 5. Head for the far shore

Step 6. Make tracks

Step 7. Shake it offStep 8. Shake shake shake off some more

Voilà! A Clean Bear!

(All this took place June 5, 2009, in a seasonal pond across the road from the Yellowstone River Picnic grounds, Yellowstone National Park; this is a black bear, extremely common in that area.)