The most adorable video has been circulating on the internet, and people are going gaga over it. The video captures an adorable “bear hug” moment between a mother bear and her cub. Not only will it melt your heart, but it also reveals something about how black bears interact with one another.
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Adorable “Bear Hug” Video Melts Hearts Across The Globe
An account by the name of @pinecardinal news shared the video on their Instagram. The video starts off by focusing on a young black bear cub in the street. Shortly after, the cub sprints across the road to reach his mother, who was waiting for him.
She scooped him up with one of her paws so that he was standing on two legs. Then, he gripped her paw in a hug-like motion, and she drew him closer to her body. The people recording the encounter were enamored with the sight. “Aw, that is so cute,” you can hear a woman say.
What This Reveals About Black Bear Behavior
Besides just being a downright cute moment, this interaction also reveals something about black bear behavior. AZ Animals shares that while this adorable moment may seem like a rare capture, it is actually quite typical behavior.
They write, “What we can say is that this behavior fits a larger pattern of younger black bears staying physically and socially close to their mothers because that closeness is how they survive.”
Although adult black bears are considered solitary creatures, that norm does not extend to mothers and cubs. These little cubs are wholly dependent upon their mothers for survival. They need her for both food and protection.
Additionally, it is the mother’s job to teach her cub how to navigate the world. AZ Animals shares that mother black bears “teach them where to find food, how to climb, what to avoid, how to move through their home range, and how to respond to danger.” They learn all of this by following their mother and watching her, day after day.
Therefore, although it seems like a heartfelt “bear hug” moment to us, it is simply more about safety. This little cub has learned that with mom is the safest place he can be. Therefore, it was a survival reflex once he was left in the open to run to the safety of his mom’s embrace. Not that that makes it any less adorable.
