By Wil Longbottom


At first glance, this bear looks like she has taken a shine to the bark of the tree she is lazing about in.

But the amusing image is in fact the creature's best attempt at stifling a yawn as she woke up from a snooze at Miami Zoo in Florida.

Photographer Adrian Tavano captured Kala, a 19-year-old Malayan sun bear, as she emerged from a nap and opened her mouth.

Does my tongue look big in this? Kala the Malayan sun bear lets her tongue loll out as she yawns in Miami Zoo, Florida

Sun bears usually employ their tongue, which can reach up to ten-inches, to eat termites hidden deep inside trees.

Mr Tavano, 39, from Miami, said: 'The bear exhibit is very nice and visitors have a clear view of the animals.

'Kala loves to sleep on top of this tree, which was about 20 metres from where I was.

'I think she had just woken up and had a yawn, so she is not licking the tree but it looks like it.'


Stop lolling about: The bears use their long tongue to scoop up termites from the crevices in trees



source:dailymail