Bear Welcomes Denali Visitors by Using Sign as a Scratch Post

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“Welcome to Denali National Park and Preserve, everyone. Here’s a grizzly bear scratching itself on our sign.”

We imagine a tour guide taking visitors past the Teklanika Campground would be tempted to say something like this as a brown bear used a wooden Denali park sign as its personal scratching post. A representative of the National Park Service (NPS) captured a video of the bear doing its business with the sign, and Denali National Park and Preserve shared the footage on its Facebook page.

In the video, the bear scratches the top of its back against the bottom of the large wooden sign, then rubs its backside against one of the sign’s posts. It seems like the bear really satisfies its itch, and it gives anyone watching quite a show in the meantime.

Denali also used the funny video as an opportunity to educate visitors about wildlife safety.

“Every wildlife enthusiast enjoys watching a bear scratching its back, almost as much as the bear enjoys satisfying its itch,” the caption reads. “While amusing, this video serves as a reminder that the Park is home to many bears and other animals that may be encountered on or near roads and in other frontcountry areas.”

Denali encourages visitors to enjoy wildlife from a safe distance. For bears, this means staying 300 yards or more away when outside of a vehicle (and at least 25 yards away if you’re inside of a vehicle).

Watch a bear scratching itself on a Denali sign here: