As we continue to slowly but surely inch back towards the weekend, let’s all take a minute to grab a coffee or whiskey (no judgement) and get into what this beautiful Tuesday has to offer.
Here's what's worth reading about so far this week:
AI, it’s for the
birdsbears - A group of scientists is toying with AI facial recognition software they think might help mitigate bear conflicts 🤖A more peaceful approach - ChewBarka the beaver moves from middle fingers to peace signs 🖕➡️ ✌️
Upping the ante - Reward for poached Cabinet-Yaak grizzly upped to $15K 💰
No shooting from the boat - Trio of American hunters busted and fined over $27K for shooting moose from a motor boat 🚤
You don’t need a fly rod - Well, you might. But this fella does not. 🎣
SOME THINK IT HAS A CHANCE
COULD AI-BASED FACIAL RECOGNITION TECH ACTUALLY DECREASE BEAR MAULINGS?
Traditional responses to these events often result in fast-paced hunts led by wildlife resource agencies and even sometimes large-scale culls to attempt to quickly locate and dispatch ‘problem’ bears. The issue with these strategies is that they often prove ineffective or imprecise, sometimes harming non-problem bears while failing to address repeat offenders. This is exactly where scientists and researchers with the BearID Project are hoping to intervene. At the heart of the project is an open-source initiative developing AI-powered facial recognition software tailored for bears.
While primarily designed for noninvasive conservation monitoring, the technology is gaining attention for its potential to reduce conflicts by enabling faster, more targeted wildlife management.
“We’re trying to give people tools to prevent conflicts,” Elbert Bakker, a research support specialist for Polar Bears International said. “There’s lots of potential for this technology.”
HEADLINES // DIGESTIBLE SNIPPETS
ChewBarka in his middle finger era | Mike Digout
🗻 ChewBarka the Beaver Settles Down After Years of Flipping People the Bird. A viral beaver named ChewBarka has become an internet sensation for his unintentionally sassy paw gestures. The burly, 11- or 12-year-old male beaver patriarch lives with his family along the South Saskatchewan River near downtown Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Photographer Mike Digout started documenting the beavers in 2020 during COVID-19 lockdowns, sharing photos and stories on a Facebook page that now boasts 170,000 followers worldwide and up to 30,000 daily views. He nicknamed the large male "ChewBarka" for his Chewbacca-like furry brown appearance and love of gnawing on bark.
ChewBarka's fame exploded due to a quirky physical trait: aging tendons caused one claw on his right front paw to stay permanently extended, making it look like he was "flipping people off" when he raised his paw in certain poses. As a second claw later extended, the gesture evolved into what appears to be a peace sign—prompting endless amusement online. Digout noted that early photos had followers in hysterics over the "middle finger" illusion, but the updated look is now bringing a more positive vibe. Unlike typical reclusive beavers, this urban-adapted family is approachable and active year-round thanks to warm water from a nearby power plant, allowing frequent sightings near sunset along riverside trails.
💰 Conservation Groups Up Reward to $15K for Info on Poached Cabinet-Yaak Grizzly Bear. Authorities have increased the reward to $15,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction in the illegal killing of a federally protected female grizzly bear in northern Idaho, near the Montana border. The bear, part of the small and vulnerable Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem population (estimated at around 60 individuals), was shot on or about October 28th of last year, north of Perkins Lake in Boundary County, Idaho.
The total reward now includes the original $7,000 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and a new $7,300 contribution from the Center for Biological Diversity, a conservation nonprofit that announced the increase earlier this month. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact wildlife authorities.
🚤 U.S. Trio Banned and Fined Heavily for Shooting Swimming Moose from Motorboat in Ontario. Three American hunters from Wisconsin were fined a total of $27,500 for multiple violations during an illegal moose hunt in northwestern Ontario. The charges stemmed from prohibited hunting practices, including discharging a firearm from a motorboat and hunting/shooting a moose while it was swimming—both illegal under Ontario's wildlife regulations. One individual, Jeffery Gassman, pleaded guilty to specific offenses: discharging a firearm from a motorboat, hunting a moose while it was swimming, and hunting moose without proper authorization or tags.
In addition to the substantial fines, the men faced further penalties, including hunting license bans (preventing them from hunting in Ontario for a period) and a likely forfeiture of related equipment or game.
THOUGHTS FROM THE STAND // FROM OUR NOTEPAD
I’ve got a nice set of stainless steel cookware to cook with. But every now and then I pull out that old, nicked-up coated pan just to prove my body can still handle the plastic and Teflon poisoning.
I don’t want my camera roll to supersede my memory bank. I’m trying to be mindful of avoiding building a perfect archive of a life I didn’t really attend.
Eyeballs/attention > lenses
If gratitude starts to feel forced, it might time for a change.
Depression can’t catch a moving target.
He doesn’t need your words, He needs your hands. 🙏
VIDEO // SOME THINGS JUST HAVE TO BE SEEN
🎣 Who says you need a fly rod? Watch as this fella jumps on top of a school of fish and comes up with a nice little shore lunch.
I wish I could have that kind of luck…
WANDERINGS // A SFW GLIMPSE OF OUR BROWSER HISTORY
As many of you know, much of the country got a dusting of snow over the weekend. As someone who grew up in Canada, I can say I know a thing or two about staying safe while driving in the snow. And speaking of the cold (and my frigid Canadian roots), a lot of people ask: how cold is too cold to go outside for a run? Living down here in Florida, I’ll run a few times a week in January easily. When I lived up north, you wouldn’t catch me pounding the pavement in the dead of winter - it’s always too damn cold. I love a good library of the traditional sense, but have yet to venture into one of these more obscure types of libraries in my lifetime. Fancy a visit to the library of taxidermy, anyone? And one-sentence movie reviews are something my short-ass attention span can really get behind.
EYE CANDY // PICTURES > WORDS
The herd.
📸 : @nick.sulzer
Oh, and one more thing…
