While resting by a river, Team Avatar encountered a platypus bear attacking a man from Makapu Village, though the man nimbly managed to avoid all of the bear's blows. Aang proceeded to intervene and attempted to placate the animal; his efforts had no effect, however, and Appa instead frightened the creature from behind with a loud roar. Terrified, the platypus bear laid an egg and fled. Later, in 170 AG, a platypus bear was sitting beside an old lady in the waiting room of an animal pound in Republic City, held by a leash tied around its neck.