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Last night I watched a program about bears on PBS...perhaps that is why this little Black Bear showed up this morning.  I've always had a fascination with bears...with their ability to stand and walk on their hind legs, and maybe just their shape, they are somehow very human-like. They do share many traits with humans - they are omnivores, they are opportunistic, they have dexterous "hands", and they are good at problem solving.

PBS.org has this to say about bears: "Held in awe by Native American Indians, classic characters in folklore, feared, trapped, hunted, displayed in zoos and made to perform in circuses, the bear has long had a complicated relationship with humans. The bear intimidates with its size and strength, but it may be the bear’s undeniable intelligence that causes us to revere the creature even as we fear him. Considered by many wildlife biologists to be one of the most intelligent land animals of North America, bears possess the largest and most convoluted brains relative to their size of any land mammal. In the animal kingdom, their intelligence compares with that of higher primates."

According to Elena Harris, " In the kingdom of spirit animals, the bear is emblematic of grounding forces and strength. This animal has been worshiped throughout time as a powerful totem, inspiring those who need it the courage to stand up against adversity. As a spirit animal in touch with the earth and the cycles of nature, it is a powerful guide to support physical and emotional healing."