(WRIC/ABC) — A New York man has become an online sensation for hugging it out with a 1,500-pound bear.
Jim Kowalczik can be seen in videos and photos posted on Facebook getting up-close-and-personal with Jimbo, a 1,500-pound Kodiak bear who is more than 9-feet tall when he stands on two legs.
Jimbo is one of 11 bears that live at Orphaned Wildlife Center, an Otisville, New York, wildlife rehabilitation center run by Kowalczik and his wife, Susan, according to the center’s website.
A video of Kowalczik, a retired connections officer, and Jimbo playing together in the snow has been viewed more than 93,000 times on Facebook.
Another video that shows Kowalczik and Jimbo giving each other literal bear hugs has been viewed more than 12,000,000 times.
