Munsey’s special talent is to collect rocks and stones and place them on his nose or forehead and toss them up into the air and hit them with his paw.
Munsey has been perfecting his technique in stone throwing for the past two years.
This morning Munsey was kind enough to demonstrate just how well he can throw these rocks while swimming in the pond located at the Wildwood Zoo in Marshfield, Wisconsin.
Munsey and Boda had a wet and wild afternoon pool party as they enjoyed each others company swimming in the 13-foot swimming hole located in the JP Adler Kodiak Bear Habitat Area at Wildwood Zoo in Marshfield WI.
These two loving brothers really can play rough with each other but it’s all fun and Games for these two guys!
(left to right Munsey and Boda) When I first arrived at the zoo this afternoon Munsey and Boda were taking a nap! Well, kind of taking a nap!
So if you happen to be visiting Munsey and Boda, remember if they are sleeping, it’s because they probably had a very active morning or play time. Once they’ve rested up, they are usually up and about chasing each other, swimming in the pool or in the pond.
Regardless of what these two boys are up to, I always find them endlessly entertaining to watch and document! In the two hours, I spent documenting the bears today at Wildwood Zoo I shot about 200 photographs of Munsey and Boda.
While I don’t like to dwell on our extended winter weather, this is what the first half of the month of April 2018 looked like in Marshfield, Wisconsin at Wildwood Zoo.
Even Munsey and Boda were looking forward to the snow melting and the fresh green grass and tender leaves emerging from the buds on the trees!
While I enjoy watching Munsey and Boda climb the tree’s in the Bear Woods, I’m ready for them to stop their climbing for safety reason’s. That’s 850 pounds of Kodiak bear up in that little tree!
On April 19th the weather began warming up and the pond in the Bear Woods no longer was ice covered, which allowed Munsey and Boda to enjoy swimming and water wrestling once again.
A favorite pastime for Munsey is finding a rock from the pond and trying to place it on the bridge of his nose and flip it into the air, while trying to catch it in his paw.
Munsey has practiced and refined his rock throwing techniques over the past two years and I have seen him successfully flip that rock into the air and smack it a couple of feet across the pond.
Meanwhile Boda is examining a large log floating in the pond.
I believe that Munsey has put in his application in maintenance management control, hoping to regulate the water distribution throughout the Bear Woods and JP Adler Kodiak Bear Habitat Exhibit.
The overflow from the large upper pond, allowed standing water for Munsey and Boda to enjoy. The extra water also created an opportunity for frogs and other small creatures to thrive in that area as well. So Munsey would spend hours pacing back and forth creating a deep muddy path, while hoping to capture a little creature that might happen to come his way!
Where there is a spout, there is water, regardless how far out of reach it might be for these guys!
It’s always wonderful to capture the connections between the zoo guests or staff members and the Kodiak bears Munsey and Boda!
This selection of photographs were taken on my birthday. I spent about an hour watching Munsey and Boda relaxing in the JP Adler Kodiak Bear Habitat area and then splash around in the pond located in the Bear Woods. Munsey’s weight is about 760 lbs. and Boda’s weight is about 840 lbs.
On April 20th, 2018 Munsey’s weight is about 760 lbs. and Boda’s weight is 840 lbs.
On January 2016 Munsey’s weight was 175 lbs. and Boda’s weight is 185 lbs.
On January 9, 2017 Munsey’s weight was 506 lbs. and Boda’s weight was 545 lbs.
On February 1st, 2018 Munsey’s weight was 680 lbs. and Boda’s weight is 760 lbs.
It’s hard to believe that these two brothers collectively weigh around 1,610 lbs. with that amount of weight and the incredible amount of strength these two Kodiak bears have, I wouldn’t want to get in-between them while they’re giving each other a bear hug!
Munsey and Boda appear to enjoy wrestling with each other in the pond located in the Bear Woods section of the habitat area.
Munsey and Boda also enjoy playing with beer keg that floats around the pond.
Boda has once again taken to the tree’s in hopes of retrieving those tender buds and branches to snack on this morning. Boda is 840 lbs. and it’s unbelievable as to the heights he climbs most mornings. The tree’s must be incredibly strong to withstand Boda’s weight.
While observing Boda the past few mornings, I noticed that the tree branches don’t make any cracking sounds from the weight of this three year old Kodiak bear until he begins his descent back to the ground. As much as I love watching Boda climb high up into the tree’s, I’m hoping he stops climbing very soon because I’m a little concerned about him falling out of the tree.
There appears to be a smile on Boda’s face as returns to the ground after he’s dropped a large branch with tender buds, down to the ground to snack on with his brother Munsey.
Register to participate at the Be the Bunny Event held at Marshfield Wildwood Zoo held on March 25th at 10:00 am!
This bear basket is just one of many silent auction items that you can bid on to help support the Marshfield Wildwood Zoo!
My latest book title “Branch Management” is included in the bear basket, along with other Munsey and Boda themed products, including 10-greeting cards, 1- journal, 3- 5″x 7 “photographs, 1 bear book and two stuffed bears.
Munsey and Boda must have a craving for those tender new leaves growing on the trees because the boys are once again climbing to great heights to get a nibble on the second full day of Spring.
This is a photograph of Boda , as he straddles on a relatively small tree branch. Boda now weighs 840 pounds and still manages to mobilize all that weight 30 plus feet up the tree!
Munsey’s weight is 760 pounds. While I was observing the bears today Munsey didn’t climb much more than three feet up the tree trunk. This isn’t unusual for Munsey, he’s always had a tenancy to not climb as high up into the tree tops as his brother Boda.
If your interested in stopping to visit Munsey and Boda and hope to see them tree climbing then stop in and visit them at the Marshfield Wildwood Zoo in by around 10:00 -11:00 am.
