National Parks Service Posts Photo Of Bears 'Discovering' New Monolith

"Two bears converging on a shiny object..." 🤔🐻

The appearance of mysterious metal monoliths in remote locations has captivated people around the globe. But humans reportedly aren't the only ones fascinated by these otherworld-seeming objects.

This week, the National Parks Service shared a photo purporting to show "two bears converging on a shiny object" in the Alaskan wilderness.

But is it real? You be the judge:

Though the National Parks Service, in posting the image, makes no indication whatsoever that it’s anything but legit, even an untrained eye can sense some Photoshop trickery going on. 

Likely fiction aside, however, the post goes on to educate about true bear behavior.

“Bears rub on many objects: trees, signs, fence posts, power poles, mysterious monoliths, outbuildings, cabins, and even boulders,” the National Parks Service wrote. “It’s believed bears use rub trees to communicate with each other, assert dominance, or establish territory. By leaving their scent or hair behind, they can make their presence known.”

Here’s some actual footage, taken elsewhere, of how that behavior plays out:

The bears in the dubious pic above didn’t get to leave their scent on the “mysterious monolith” for long. As the National Parks Service wrote:

“The shiny object is no longer in the park. The waiting list to scratch became unbearable.”

In other words, the mystery (or lack thereof) will apparently remain.