New Mexico offers job as "professional bear hugger"

Yogi, Winnie the Pooh and Baloo. Bears have been used on several occasions to star in or form part of the main cast of films, series or children's stories, as is the case of these three characters. They all have endearing personalities which make them both loveable and huggable. Thee three are fictitious figures but if you really want to hug a bear, New Mexico will give you the opportunity to do just that.

The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish posted a job opening on its website for a "professional bear hugger." The job is listed as a "Conservation Officer," as part of a research project. The deadline to apply is March 30, 2023.

To become a "professional bear hugger," the state requires a bachelor's degree in biology, ecology or wildlife and nature-related fields. Based on the photos posted on Facebook by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, successful applicants would be paid to hug small bear cubs, not large bears that can be 10 feet tall and weigh up to 1,800 pounds.

The new "professional bear huggers" are advised to stay out of the dens, and it is forbidden to feed them.