If you like a hairy guy, you’re going to want to put your eyes all over BearTiger.

I caught up with BearTiger to discuss how he’s embracing his wild side.

Can you remember when you first encountered men who described themselves as bears?

I come from a beach town where, at the time of growing up, being hairy was not actually the norm.

Everyone was getting laser hair removal, waxing or doing whatever to be clean-shaven. I also worked in a job that required employees to shave their beard. Gay fashion was not hairy or anything remotely close to what I would describe a bear.

I was actually very disconnected from accepting myself, my body, and the very hairy features that I am very proud of today. It was only through Twitter, and stumbling across handsome hairy men that brought my attention to the bear community.

There was a lot going on in my life at that time – I’d had a cancer scare, people at my work were burnt out and it was a toxic place to work.

I was so busy with everything that was going on in my life, that I didn’t have time to shave a single thing.

The defining moment for me was one day at the gym. I’d finished my workout and was about to hit the sauna. I started chatting with a handsome man with a beard. He told me how handsome I was and complimented my beard, my hairy body and back. For the first time I felt seen.

He gave me a gentle kiss on the mouth, invited me to a barbecue, labelled me a cute bear cub, and left the sauna.

My spirit felt alive, my mind was activated, and my body was warm, my heart was racing, and I felt ecstatic. It was at that moment I thought – OMFG, I am a bear!

I Googled many things that night, and my connection with my body reached self-fulfilling ecstasy three times that night.

Did your perception of yourself change once you started to describe yourself as a bear?

That moment in the sauna helped me to realise who I am and also helped me to embrace my body.

I chose the name BearTiger because bears look after themselves and those around them, and tigers are confident, can stand alone, and are sensual.

My full name is BearTiger11, which is what I use on social media. The 11 is a number that relates to my spiritual journey.

Labelling myself and identifying with a community who love their bodies has helped me to love and explore every part of my body and my hairiness.

How do you describe what it is to be a bear?

To me, a gay bear is a man in touch with his body or wants to be more in touch with his body.

The idea of shaming himself no longer serves him as he starts to love his body where – curves, muscles or lean.

I really think there is a misnomer that all bears are extra curvy and that is what the definition of a gay bear is. I also need to make it clear that masculinity is not an identifiable term used to describe a bear, but many people think it is.

Being a bear is a mindset, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Bears welcome everyone and we also welcome admirers of bears.

Are you only attracted to guys who are also bears?

Throughout my life, any attraction has been based on connection. It also depends on the mood that I’m in.

I like specific things – there’s things that really turn me on but they’re not things that are necessarily specific to bears.

What I do like about bears is the hair – how it feels. I like how the beard feels on my skin and my body – rubbing fur together sparks absolute joy and sexual comfort.

In my early years, I was attracted to both men and women. Now, I prefer the company, nakedness, intimacy and connection with men.

In some cities, women are also part of the bear community. Many people don’t know that.

As a hairy guy, do you have any grooming tips?

Tip 1: Brush

Brushing your fur keeps your hair soft and styled – it brushes away the loose bits.

Brushing your body in a circular motion away from the heart towards your lymph nodes under your pits or on your inner thighs next to your cock really helps activate your immune system and keeps your skin glowing.

I use a handheld boar brush.

Remember to clean your brush by using a comb to brush out the excess hair. Use soap and hot water and put five drops of sandalwood or oud essential oil on the bristles, then dry it in the sun or with a hairdryer.

Tip 2: Trim

Trimming is important to me as I get to keep my hair styled.

I have a face trimmer and a body trimmer as I like to keep them separate.

Tip 3: Moisturise

Moisturising your beard and your body is important to your hair and your skin underneath the hair.

Being very hairy, I have to nurture my skin underneath the hair.

Tip 4: Explore

Explore your hairy body and enjoy it.

The more connected you are with it, the more you will know what works for you, and your grooming will be taken to a level that is satisfying your needs and your suitors.

Tip 5: Mirror work

Get in front of that mirror and tell yourself how much you love yourself.

The more you are able to love yourself, the better your grooming journey will be.

If someone was interested in exploring whether being a bear was right for them, what advice or guidance would you give them?

Follow me on social media! I’m so open about things, and you can read my posts about the people I meet in the bear community.

The first place to start is to have an open mind – write a list of things you want to explore. From there, go out and find like-minded bear groups and events.

Follow BearTiger on Instagram and Twitter

Photo Credits: Manel Ortega