A Bear and Her Cubs Take a Swim in California Homeowner’s Pool

Just last week, a mother bear took her two cubs for a family day at the pool in the backyard of another family’s home in California. The residents were safely inside and able to watch and record a video entitled “cuteness overload.”

One of the videos shows a giant American black bear scratching her back against a large tree in Martinez’s yard while her cubs play, running around the tree and even climbing up its trunk.

The mama bear peaked inside the house while her cubs followed closely under her feet. While she may have been looking for potential threats, she seemed calm and comfortable on Rick’s back patio.

Still, her cubs stayed by her side, looking tiny and absolutely adorable. From there, the family made their way to the main attraction of the day: The Martinez family pool.

Her cubs were certainly hesitant, and instead of following their mother in, they walked around to the edge and sat watching her enjoy the water. The mother bear then swam over to them, seemingly encouraging them to jump in, but they were too scared.

Hundreds of people have commented on the video since; the vast majority are offering words of encouragement and support for Rick, thanking him for the uplifting clips and congratulating him on handling the situation perfectly.

First and foremost, if you encounter a bear, it’s important to understand what kind of bear it is. The advice for each type of bear, such as brown, black (which can have blonde, black, or brown fur), or grizzly, is very different, as they each have distinct personality traits.

Rick, of course, did the right thing by staying inside his home while the bears explored and played in his pool. However, if he had been outside, the very best thing to do when seeing a black bear is to stand and face them directly, try to make yourself large by spreading your arms, and make as loud of a noise as you can.

More than 30,000 wild American black bears freely roam the state of California, the majority of which live in Southern California around the greater Los Angeles area.

While these authorities are working to shift the bears’ behavior so that they return to and stay in the nearby forests, they also release ample information throughout the year to teach residents the proper response to a bear encounter.

One way to avoid bears in the wild is to ensure all food products, including scraps and trash or even dog food, are in sealed packages at all times. However, if you do see an American black bear, remember: Don’t run away. Instead, make yourself big and loud. It’s highly unlikely that they will attack, but if they do, do not play dead; it’s time to fight back.

Bears can be extremely cute, especially the little ones, but make no mistake, these animals are fierce and even deadly. But if you treat them with the respect they deserve and remember the proper protocols, you’ll be fine.