Even apex predators apparently have days when they do not feel like walking.
A video showing a wild polar bear in Svalbard slowly sliding down a snowy hill has struck a chord with viewers who sometimes prefer the easy route.
What happened?
The footage was shared by nature photographer Paul Nicklen (@paulnicklen) on Instagram, who explained the situation in the video's caption.
"This big male had us all stifling laughter as he slid his way down the snowy slopes of Svalbard," he wrote.
(Click here to view the video if it doesn't appear.)
Nicklen continued, explaining the "sledding" behavior can help bears conserve energy and prevent overheating issues caused by fat reserves and a thick winter coat.
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"Today I'm thinking of my friends in Europe and parts of North America suffering under heat advisories," Nicklen added. "I hope you are all finding solutions to keep cool and safe out there."
Indeed, late June and early July were particularly hot in many parts of the world, with heat records broken in much of Europe and the United States.
While an icy slide would have been a perfect solution to combat that devastating heat, those soaring temperatures put these landscapes at risk, potentially harming polar bear habitats and causing sea levels to rise.
What are people saying?
In the comments, some joked about the bear:
"Like a scene out of a Chilly Willy cartoon," one user wrote.
"The official transportation of professional nappers," another said. "Why wake up when gravity's got you covered?"
"Footage of my teenagers getting out of bed!" another joked.
Others experiencing the heat advisories firsthand were jealous of the snowy form of transportation.
"It's sweltering in CT, and I envy this guy sliding in the snow," one wrote.
"Looks so refreshing — it's 100 [degrees] here," another said.
"At least someone is cool!" a commenter added.
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