A family of black bears surprised visitors at a California lake by joining them for a swim to cool off in the summer heat.
With temperatures hitting 30°C (86°F) at South Lake Tahoe, the bears decided to take a refreshing dip, much to the astonishment of beachgoers.
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At Pope Beach, during the rare event, Jen Watkins captured the scene on camera, showcasing the mother bear and her three cubs enjoying the water.
Jen recounted to KCRA News that her child first noticed the mother bear when it had an encounter with a golden retriever.
“I guess the bear had been out earlier… It had gotten a little bit unfriendly, protective of the cubs with a golden retriever,” she said. Fortunately, neither the dog nor the cubs were harmed during this encounter.
After the standoff, the mother bear continued her day by snagging picnic supplies from nearby humans, including sandwich meat and a cooler, and retreating into the woods for a meal.
Post-lunch, the bear family returned to the lake, where the cubs were seen swimming as onlookers watched in amazement. “We were all a little shocked,” Jen admitted.
As reported by Newsweek, Pope Beach’s bear family is among California’s estimated 25,000 to 35,000 black bears. North and South Lake Tahoe residents have noted increased bear sightings recently.
Although the mother bear did not harm anyone, Lieutenant Nelson Resendes of the Placer County Sheriff’s Office cautioned that these animals could be dangerous. “We are in their territory when we’re up in the Foothills and the Sierra (Nevada),” he explained.
“Don’t feed them, entice them, or provoke them, and obviously in a setting like this… don’t approach them… Respect their space.”
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