After A State Trooper Saved A Bear Cub, He Discovered Something Incredible

A Resident's Encounter With A Bear Family

As police had warned, a bear family decided to cross the street one day in spring. A resident of the town was driving down the road and came to a halt upon seeing the bears up ahead.

It seemed that something was delaying the bear family from fully crossing the road. Fortunately, the resident did the responsible thing and notified the local police. It was clear that the mother was struggling to keep her cubs together.

One Of The Cubs Was Falling Behind

According to the North American Bear Center, the size of a newborn bear cub compared to its mother is smaller than any other placental mammal. At first, the animals are completely dependent on their mothers.

The cubs roaming the road weren't newborns, but they were still very young. They need to stick by their mother's side for about one and a half years before achieving independence. So it was worrisome to see that one of the cubs was seriously falling behind.

Up next, help was on the way.

An Officer Arrived To Control The Traffic

In response to the concerned resident who called the police, state trooper Thomas Owens headed to the scene. He noticed that while three of the cubs could run along with their mom, one was too weak and seemed paralyzed on the road.

Sometimes mothers in nature have a sense when they will not be able to care for their weakest baby. It seemed to be dawning on the mother black bear that one of her young cubs could be putting the rest of the pack in jeopardy.

The Odds Weren't Looking Good For This Cub

Since animals do not have the medical resources that humans do, being helpless in the face of health issues is the norm. The North American Bear Center reports that bear litters of more than three have a harder time surviving.

The bear family that the state trooper was checking up on had four bear cubs, so it wasn't surprising that only three of them had the strength to go on. The mama bear may have known this, too.

Waiting For Help To Arrive

The officer began directing traffic around the bears, hoping that the weak cub would eventually be able to move on. When it became clear that the cub was utterly helpless, he knew he would need to contact professionals.

The mother bear moved on with her healthier cubs, keeping them safe from the growing crowd of humans around. Meanwhile, the state trooper contacted Fish and Wildlife Services to have them send out someone to help transport the cub.

Get ready to see this adorable bear cub up close.

Bringing The Cub To Safety

This photograph shows state trooper Thomas Owens holding the adorable little cub that was left behind. Since black bears have a mating season, babies are usually born in January -- meaning that this cub was probably around three months old.

Depending on how snowy the year is, parent bears will usually leave the den with their cubs for the first time in April. That's probably what this bear family was doing when the weak cub starting having trouble.

A Surprising Link Between Separate Events

Once the bear cub was brought to safety, the police began evaluating what had happened. That's when they made a startling connection between this event and one that had happened within the past 24 hours.

Just the day prior, the police had rescued another little bear cub in the same town. A bear having a litter of four was unlikely, but was it possible that the cub from the day prior was a part of the same large litter?

Coming up, the police discover news that defies the odds.

The Stranded Cubs Were Related

The Town of Carroll Police Department did some investigating and discovered that both cubs they had brought in were from the same mother bear. When it comes to delivering cubs, bears are similar to humans in terms of the number they have.

A female black bear will usually have one or two cubs in her first litter, and rarely more than three, according to the North American Bear Center. This mother bear nearly broke records by having quintuplets!

The Mother Bear Had No Choice

Being that having three bear cubs is risky, having five makes it all the more likely that at least one of the cubs will be sick and weak. Discovering that this mother bear had five cubs shed perspective on the situation.

Even though the mother had five cubs, she'd managed to keep them all warm in her den since January. Sadly, when they emerged in spring, it became clear that two of the cubs wouldn't make it, so the mother had to sacrifice them for the sake of her other three.

The Police Came To The Rescue

Fortunately for this mother bear, the police would be able to rescue her two sick cubs in ways that she couldn't. The Town of Carroll Police Department made arrangements to have both cubs taken in for rehabilitation.

With experts by their side and the advantage of science and medicine, their hope was that the cubs would become strong enough to return to the wild. Only time would tell if they'd be able to reunite with their mother and siblings, though.

Reuniting The Sibling Bears

The sibling bear cubs were reunited at a bear rehabilitation center in Lyme, New Hampshire. The first cub was sent there upon being found alone in the woods the day before police encountered the bear's family in the road.

The second cub was able to join its sibling shortly thereafter, meaning that neither had to fend without a family for long. The fact that these two weakling cubs were found within 24 hours of one another makes it seem like fate had stepped in.

Coming up, discover why reuniting these cubs may have been beneficial for their health.

Bear Cubs Thrive With Play

Not only is it significant that the runt cubs were able to reconnect because they are family, but also because they could be playmates. Similar to humans, bear cubs spend a lot of time playing.

Doing so is an important part of their development, especially since they are born so small and helpless. The North American Bear Center states the exact reason why bear cubs play so much is a mystery, but it may have to do with their brain development and cardiovascular fitness.

One Woman Caught The Bear Family On Camera

Jane Langmaid was one of the drivers headed down the road during the bear family's crossing. As you might expect, she whipped out her phone and started filming the amazing moment. In this screenshot from her video, you can see the three cubs trailing behind the mama bear.

They are headed back to the side of the road they just came from, where the fourth cub was struggling to walk. In the video, you can see the mother waver back and forth on the road, before finally leading her three healthy cubs on and away from their runt sibling.

The Concerned But Non-Aggressive Mother

One of the most heartbreaking parts of the video is how unsure the mother seems to be. As soon as she realizes that her fourth cub didn't make it across the street, she heads back to the other side.

She goes back and forth repeatedly, with all three of her cubs following. Though the police officer is in close proximity to all of them, she doesn't show any aggression toward him. It's as though she knows that he's only there to help.

Next, we'll look a little deeper into the mother's reserved nature.

Uniquely Timid Black Bears

This image of one of the runt bear cubs saved by the police shows how calm black bears can be. Though this one is just a baby, adult black bears often resort to flight rather than fight, meaning they tend to be less dangerous than the notorious grizzly bear.

Dr. Lynn Rogers of the North American Bear Center states that even black bear mothers are reluctant to attack in defense of their cubs. He asserts that black bears' ability to climb trees has always provided an effective way of survival, and that those timid genes were passed on to today's black bears.

The Beautiful Place These Bears Call Home

The family of bears was roaming around the gorgeous White Mountain National Forest, which extends across the border of Maine and New Hampshire. Sweeping mountain views, snowy hilltops, and thick trees with vibrant leaves make this spot seem like paradise.

In addition to the black bear and moose, this land is home to bald eagles, coyotes, bobcats, gray and red foxes, mink, porcupines, and so many more wildlife species. It boasts more than 750,000 acres of protected wilderness.

Still to come, we'll reveal whatever happened to the rescued bear cubs.

Learning To Survive On Their Own

Like many young mammals, black bears typically learn how to function as adults from their mother. Since the police officers were able to save them from being abandoned, it's up to the black bear rehabilitation center to prepare them for life in the woods.

Many have been touched by the heartwarming story of the officers who have given the runt bear cubs a second chance. Several people left comments on the police department's Facebook page thanking them for rescuing the bears.

Hope That They'll One Day Reunite With Their Family

Those following the story remained hopeful that the bears will one day reunite with their family. While the officers weren't able to confirm that the mother bear and her healthy three cubs were found, they did have one piece of good news.

One woman commented to ask whatever happened to the baby black bears that the officers had rescued. The Town of Carroll Police Department wrote back on their Facebook page, saying that they were successfully released into the wild after being rehabilitated.

If you enjoyed that story, you'll want to read on for another amazing story of people stepping in to rescue baby bears.

Fishermen Do The Unthinkable When They See Baby Bears Abandoned By Their Mother

Just like with humans, animals are sometimes just not able to provide for their young. This momma bear loved her cubs but in nature, sometimes the fight or flight instinct has to kick in. Heartbreakingly, she faced a situation where she had to choose between her own life and those of her bear cubs. She did what she had to in order to save her own life, but it left her heartbroken.

The fishermen in this story never expected to become such an important part of this story. It will just go to show that you don't always know what can happen in nature. Hope may have seemed lost for these cubs, but newfound heroes may have saved them.

The Frigid Waters Of Russia Left The Momma Bear Cold And Desperate

Of course, our story takes place in Russia! Where else would men interact with the wild so freely? Specifically, our heroes were out fishing on Lake Vygozero. Located in the northwestern part of Russia, the freshwater lake can reach temperatures as low as negative four degrees Fahrenheit!

The large lake is extremely dangerous for fishermen if they fall in. It is also deadly for any wildlife who decides to take a dip. Something made this momma bear think she could cross the lake with cubs. Our best guess: she was desperate to find food. Little did she know, she might not have a family at the end of the day.

Next, the bears began to cross the lake but disaster struck.

In This Case, Curiosity Nearly Killed The Bear

Nature is wild! Okay, that's an obvious statement, but we're still at a loss for what possessed this mom to try and swim across a giant freezing lake with her cubs. Whatever the reason was, she thought they would make it across.

Spoiler alert; she made it across. Her cubs, on the other hand, weren't so lucky. As we said, the bears may have been starving and getting to the other side of the lake was the answer. Nature may be wild, but there is always logic behind what we think is crazy. Coming up, the bears get swept away, but how do they get separated?

The Moment You've Been Waiting For, A True Act Of Chaos

Let's dive into our story now. This momma bear was raising her cubs, but she hadn't taught them to swim yet. Still, in order to survive, the family needed to venture across Lake Vygozero. The cubs hung onto their mother for dear life. Sadly, she realized quickly that not one of them would survive if she couldn't shake them loose.

The decision couldn't have been easy. Survival isn't easy though, and this mother wasn't about to go down with her ship. Did she know she was signing a death warrant for her cubs? She literally put them in a sink or swim situation!

The Moment Of Separation

No one could have seen the shocking moment when our momma bear let her cubs go. The heartbreaking moment goes against everything we thought we knew about nature. The truth is there is more to this story than meets the eye.

Numerous factors were responsible for the decision this mother was forced to make. Sadly yes, she was forced to let her cubs possibly die. The reason might surprise you. You'll have to keep reading to find out what it was!

The Current Was The True Enemy

Perhaps our momma bear underestimated the current of Lake Vygozero when she decided to swim across with her cubs. The lake is large, but we imagine she had made the journey before. On this fateful day, however, the lake current was too strong.

Despite her best efforts, she just couldn't hold onto her cubs. She didn't shake them off or force them loose. The strength of the current forced the family to be separated. It couldn't have been easy to abandon her cubs, but it would have been impossible to swim back and save them.

What's A Cub To Do?

Alone and scared, these bear cubs let their survival instincts kick in. Their mom never got the chance to teach them how to swim, but they thrashed around until they figured it out. Treading water and swimming are two different things, though, and these cubs only figured out part one of survival.

Hope looked bleak. They were losing energy fast and could barely see their mother. Eventually, they would run out of energy and submit to the freezing water around them. Before that, luckily, a miracle happened.

All Hope Isn't Lost

Hope no longer seemed bleak for these cubs, it seemed lost. As their mother continued to get farther away, it became clear they were on their own. Obviously, it would be impossible to know what these bears were thinking. We're not bears, but it is interesting to speculate.

How close were they to giving up? Exhaustion was setting in, and they didn't have much gas left in their tanks. With all lost, fate stepped in. The dire tides these cubs were drowning in were about to change in their favor. Up next, an unexpected hero shows up!

A Metal Hero Arrives

On the brink of giving up, fate stepped into our little bear cubs' lives. In the distance, they spotted a metal hero: a fishing boat. If they could speak, they'd have been yelling, "help!"

No yelling was needed, the crew on the boat spotted the bears in the distance, too. They also spotted the bears mother swimming away. They were hesitant to intervene but knew they might be the cubs only chance to live. It helped that the bears had begun swimming towards them.

Another Day On The Job Suddenly Gets Interesting

The boat the bear cubs were swimming to was a fishing boat. The fishermen on board knew they had a job to do, but also knew these bears were in grave danger. What were they supposed to do, ignore the drowning bears and keep fishing?

They could have, but they didn't. Remember, this is a story about love, and these fishermen loved nature. Putting a days pay on the line, they made up their minds to save the cubs. There was just one problem...

A Mother Of A Problem

With their minds made up to help the bear cubs, the fishermen on the boat just needed to get past one big obstacle. The momma bear may have had to abandon her cubs, but she was still in the water, and still close enough to turn around and make a mess of the boat.

Our heroes were forced to wait. They needed to make sure the cubs' mother was far enough away before they could start their rescue. It's a good thing they still needed to come up with a plan! Then again, these determined cubs may have been concocting a plan of their own.

Baby Bears Make Their Own Rescue Plan

Before the fishermen had a plan of their own, our baby bears did the unthinkable; they came up with their own plan. Yep, these cubs knew their best chance for rescue, and they took it.

They didn't know that the fishermen on the boat were trying to wait for the all-clear from the momma bear. The truth was these fishermen were their only hope, so they swam to them. Just like the beginning of our story, when these bears got the boat, they hung on for dear life.

This Is Why Camera Phones Were Invented

Amidst the chaos, one of the fishermen did the obvious and grabbed his smartphone. Rescuing baby bears from drowning is a once in a lifetime experience. He waited for the right moment to start filming. He needed to make sure the baby bears were ready for their closeup!

Finally, the cubs got close enough to begin filming. You can see from the picture above how cute these little guys are! We wouldn't have let them drown either! With the camera rolling, the daring rescue was in full effect. Once the cubs grabbed onto the boat, there was no turning back!

The Fishermen Come Up With A Plan

As it turns out, the cubs' rescue plan went as far as getting to the boat. Once there they tried to get on, only too realize the side of the boat was too high and they were too exhausted. One of the fishermen came up with an interesting plan on the spot to help.

He grabbed all the fishing supplies on the boat to see if there was anything he could use to help aid the bears in their journey. A fishing net seemed the most logical, but also came with several issues. We'll get to those later when the net comes into play. Next, the bears come up with a new plan!

When In Doubt, Use Your Mouth!

Survival instinct had served the baby bears well so far. Good for them, their instinct had one more trick up its sleeve! As the fishermen were running out of time, the cubs began using their teeth to grab hold of anything they could hang onto.

Running on fumes, using their teeth to anchor into the boat worked! It may have saved these bears' lives too! Being able to conserve some energy bought the fishermen more time to figure out how to get them onto the boat with getting hurt or mauled. These bears needed rescuing, but they were still wild animals!

A Good Plan Only Goes So Far

So here we are, baby bears anchored to the fishing boat and fishermen desperately trying to figure out how to haul them to safety. It would have been easy to give up and push the bears back into the water, but these fishermen's hearts weren't that cold. Also, the bears had made it this far; they deserved to be rescued!

Still, they couldn't just reach out and pull the bear cubs into the boat. Besides no one on the boat being strong enough, none of the fishermen were brave enough to put their arm in mouth reach of these wild animals. That is until they locked eyes with each other.

The Eyes Are The Windows To The Soul

As man and bear locked eyes with each other, it was clear who was in danger and needed saving. One look into the desperate eyes of these cubs and any fear the fishermen had disappeared. Everyone knew that even if these bears were safe on the boat, they would not act out against their saviors.

The eyes are the windows to the soul. It doesn't matter who is looking at what, these bears revealed themselves to the fishermen. Now it was time for the fishermen to reveal their hidden bravery to the bears! Coming up, a plan that finally works!

A New, Even Better Plan Is Hatched

Going back to the beginning, the fishermen looked at the supplies they had with them. Fishing rods? Useless! Fishing nets? Now that could work! The cubs were already holding onto the boat, so giving them a little push seemed like the perfect plan.

Every plan, however, comes with problems to solve. Would the fishing nets be long enough to reach the bears? More importantly, would the fishing nets be strong enough to boost the bears up? This was the plan, and there was no turning back.

Running Out Of Time

Plan in place, the fishermen were quickly running out of time to save the cubs. They had been out on the water swimming and hanging on for what seemed liked hours. This plan had to work. There was no time for another plan to concocted.

They would know right away if the fishing nets would be strong enough to save the bears. It was a longshot, but there were no other shots. For these bears, the situation had become do or die, and these fishermen were not about to let them