Justin Bieber's Chest Officially Looks Like An Outtake From Animal Planet

Update: The number of tattoos in Justin Bieber's ever-growing collection has upticked by one, further confirming our suspicions that the singer does, indeed, want to turn his body into an animal sanctuary. Observe:

His latest Instagram puts the new ink front-and-center, which happens to be yet another furry creature — a smug-faced lion — located on his right pectoral muscle. According to E!, the work of art is courtesy of tattooist-to-the-stars, Bang Bang. (The slightly-askew crown atop the lion's mane has been a longstanding piece, though.) What we want to know, is why — despite the fact that his chest bears a striking resemblance to an episode of Wild Kingdom — there's no monkey tattoo. Or... is that a sensitive subject?

Justin Bieber could easily be considered the pop star equivalent to the main character in Blindspot. All of his tattoos — and holy shit, does he have a lot — serve as a road map to key moments in his young life. And when we say his body is one big work of art, we mean it: The singer has more ink than there are U.S. states — a modest 56 (last time we checked). It's a towering number, sure, but as he shared with GQ last year: Each one has its own special meaning.

The owl on his arm? "It signifies wisdom," he told the publication. That bird above his left hip? It's from a children's book he read growing up about a "seagull who wanted to be more than just a seagull." Those two wings at the base of his neck? They're meant to symbolize the freedom to flee. It's deep stuff, people.

Now, it seems as though the star has added two more animal-inspired tats to his ever-expanding collection. In a series of Instagram stories late last night, he revealed — in near-naked, shirtless videos...because this is Justin Bieber we're talking about here — his fresh new ink.

The first, a growling grizzly bear taking up the entirety of his left peck. The second, which is perched right above his navel, shows a golden eagle with wings that extend across his entire stomach. (Which may or may not be flexed, but that's neither here nor there.)

But what does it all mean, dammit? While we can only speculate, the one thing that both furry creatures have in common is their symbolism.

The eagle, a national emblem for this country, is highly regarded for its strength and power. Their wings — as we're sure Bieber is aware, considering how many of 'em he's got smattered across his body — are symbols of protection. And the same can be said about bears: They are known to guard their families just as much as they would their food. Which, judging by the look of this particular tattooed bear — and the fact that it's strategically placed right above his heart — we'd be willing to wager the sign of "protection" was intentional.

As for why he decided to share two new works in one day, well, he always has been an overachiever — what with his multiple drumming, singing, and guitaring talents. Or maybe he just wanted his first tattoo of the day — the bear, in this case — to feel like one less lonely girl. We may never know the real reason, but if he keeps his sneak peeks coming in shirtless form, you can bet we'll be here to speculate
every single time.