Tiny bear cub scrambles to keep up with mom and brother

Seeing a wild animals is always a possibility on a country drive, especially in cottage country. This motorist was driving home from the cottage when he made the decision to turn onto a quieter road instead of the main route. Immediately after making the corner, he knew that his decision had been a good one. In the distance, a large, black bear ambled across the road with a tiny cub in tow. They wasted no time getting across the road and into the forest. The motorist decided to pull over and have a cautious look to see if he could see where the bears were. Perhaps he could even get a picture of them if they hadn't gone deep into the bushes. He pulled over on the shoulder and got out of the car. A mama bear is a formidable animal and not one to approach, especially in the early summer when they are likely to be protective of their cubs. The motorist knew not to venture past the back of the car, for safety's sake. He could hear the two bears in the woods, walking slowly, just inside the treeline. He decided to turn the car around and wait on the far shoulder with the engine off, to see if they peeked out of the trees. With the dash cam running and the car now facing the other way where the bears had crossed, our driver saw a pair of little black ears appear in the grass in front of him. A second furry little cub had been with the mother bear but it had not kept up as they crossed the road. Now it cautiously stuck its face out of the long grass and looked around. It ran out to the edge of the road, looked around, sniffed the air and then finally decided that it could run across the road to join its family. Black bears are highly intelligent and very cautious. Even young black bears have a healthy amount of reluctance to spend time out in the open. They generally avoid humans whenever possible and they are almost always harmless if we keep a safe distance and don't surprise them or threaten them. It was a treat to see this little family making their way along, but several things are obvious from this experience. Had the motorist made the mistake of wandering far from the car, he could have unknowingly been between the mother bear and her cub. Her reason for staying at the edge of the woods was obviously that she was waiting for him. Standing out in the open, or making noise of any kind could have complicated their attempts to meet up on the other side of the road and could possibly have resulted in the bear being defensive. When watching wildlife it is always best to be still and quiet and to remain in your vehicle.