Mother bear and cubs explore around beaver pond

Few animals in North America inspire such wonder and awe as the bear. Massive and powerful, yet gentle and shy, these creatures are rarely seen. The lucky few who do get a glimpse of one in the wild will only be able to watch them for a moment or two before they make their way into the forest, away from curious humans. They spend a great deal of time foraging for food, needing to pack on hundreds of pounds of weight before winter each year. Often, when they are seen, it is because they are attracted to the smell of food that accompanies humans. But occasionally, they can be seen on the woods, looking for berries, apples, acorns,or scavenging leftovers from other animals such as wolves.

Even more rare than a bear sighting is getting a look at a mother bear with cubs. One of the few times that black bears are actually likely to harm a human is when they are being protective of their cubs, and people are advised to avoid bears during this time more than any other. But yet, we are fascinated and enamored with baby bears and it is very tempting for people to try to get a picture or a close look at the cubs.

This wise photographer set up a trail camera when he knew that there was a mother bear and cubs in the area near his house in northern Ontario, Canada. He had caught a few glimpses from a distance and he had seen tracks and other evidence of their presence. His efforts were rewarded when the camera set up near a beaver pond showed him several moments when the mother led her babies around the pond in search of food.

Mother bears nurse their young for the first summer, needing an enormous amount of food to sustain all three while they pack on fat for the upcoming hibernation. She will eat mostly berries and acorns, but she will eat a small beaver if she is lucky enough to catch one. Beaver ponds are attractive places for bears to search for food.

During the first winter, the mother will sleep almost non stop, but the babies will wake enough to nurse as they nap, meaning that she will need extra fat and energy to get through those cold months.

These adorable babies follow their mother around the pond. They also enjoy a little play time in a tree, climbing and then scampering after each other while their mom looks for the next meal.