Vancouver Canucks' David Booth kisses a grizzly bear

David Booth has created a new meaning for ‘a close encounter with a grizzly bear.’

On Monday, the Vancouver Canucks’ left winger tweeted a photo of himself kissing an adult-sized grizzly bear. According to the Vancouver Sun, he spent the previous day visiting Abbotsford animal trainer Mark Dumas who trains animals for film productions.

This love is difficult but it’s real. Don’t be afraid, we’ll make it out of this mess. It’s a love story pic.twitter.com/VHUcj05DAu

— David Booth (@D_Booth7) March 31, 2014

“It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. A friend of mine set me up with the guy and told me it was hands-on. So I jumped at the opportunity. I have a bunch of other pictures but that one was pretty cool,” Booth said to the Sun.

“Being licked right in the face by a grizzly bear is something that I never thought would be possible. I thought it was a very, very cool opportunity and I wanted to take advantage of it.”

It is not clear if this particular bear was aware that Booth is an avid hunter.

Featured Image: David Booth