Bear Down and Check Out These Tattoos

What exactly do you picture when you think about bears? 

It’s an interesting question because the way that humans have interacted with bears over the years, especially through the lens of children’s media, has given us a contradictory view of the animal. On one hand, we think they are silly and adorable fuzz balls thanks to the teddy bear, Winnie the Pooh and A Bear. On the other, they are brutally efficient killers that we should fear every time we step into the woods. 

Which depiction is more apt? Well, I hate to break it to all those fans of the cute side of things, but the fat oaf getting his head caught in a honey pot isn’t the norm. Bears are wild animals who just so happen to have enormous claws, razor-sharp teeth and immensely powerful jaws. They can be very mild-mannered and, for the most part, want to be left alone. Meaning bears aren’t going to come after you, but if you irritate them they absolutely are going to ruin your shit. 

It is this vicious side of the bear that usually works its way into tattoos. That tends to be the way these things work out with tattoos, people don’t want to get a sleeping panther tattoo, they want it to be vicious and sleek. In the gallery below, you’ll find a ton of different bear tattoos. And while most of them are fearsome, the occasional Pooh Bear snuck through. Hope you enjoy them!