A meme featuring two ferocious forest animals locked in a staring match is making the rounds on the internet. Inspired by a piece of wildlife photography that shows a bear and a wolf having a face-off, the meme adds two panels showing a silly interpretation of what they might have looked like to each other.

But where did the staring bear and wolf image come from and how did it turn into a meme?

Where Did The Image Of The Bear And Wolf Originally Come From?

The original image of a bear and wolf facing off against each other comes from an image originally taken and published by Canadian wildlife photographer Peter Dettling. Dettling even managed to capture the bear and wolf looking around as if to check if anyone had seen them lock eyes.

How Did Staring Bear And Wolf Become A Meme?

Sometime in early 2023, the Dettling's image was reposted to a subreddit called /r/BlursedImages, a subreddit dedicated to sharing weird but not unenjoyable photos. The post added a second layer to the image, showing a funny POV of what both animals might have seen when the photo was clicked.

Soon after the image was posted, various meme creators began to label the different panels in the photo with appropriate titles.

What Are Some More Variations Of The Staring Bear And Wolf Meme?

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For the full history of Staring Bear And Wolf Meme, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.