Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/mama-bear-four-cubs-hibernate-under-california-home/

Everyone knows the story of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” but wait until you hear about a mama bear and her four cubs who hibernated under a home in Lake Tahoe, California.

BEAR League, a non-profit organization in Lake Tahoe which promotes living peacefully with the bears, was called to help remove the bears and shared the story on Facebook.

Thousands of black bears live around and in Lake Tahoe and are often spotted by locals. People are advised to bear-proof their homes, cars, and garbage.

Anything left open is considered fair game to the bears.

Mama bear and her four cubs discovered the unsecured crawl space under the home and decided to hibernate there for the winter.

“Last year she had three cubs and when they were about 9 months old she adopted an orphan of the same age from her neighborhood. Then she had four active, chubby little bears following her around,” wrote the non-profit.

All throughout the winter the residents heard loud rumbling and snoring sounds but dismissed the noises when their neighbors came over and didn’t hear a thing.

“It was a home where people lived and they thought they heard some odd rumbling, snoring-like noises but ignored it because it simply didn’t make sense…”

However, when spring arrived, and the bears awoke there was no arguing that there were five bears under the home. BEAR League arrived to assist in peacefully removing them.

“We un-invited Mama Bear, not yet aware there were four more bears under the house. It was quite the scene to then watch the four yearling cubs emerge from the opening and join together on the other side of the fence to venture forth into 2022. Wish them luck, everyone,” posted BEAR League.

The volunteers only managed to capture a photo of mama peering through the trees as they made their way into the wilderness.

Miraculously, the bears didn’t cause any damage to the house, but the story is a reminder to all residents to secure their crawl spaces for the safety of people and bears.

Bears, while adorable, are wild animals and you should keep your distance. The U.S. Department of Agriculture tells people to be “bear aware” and provides tips on how to safely enjoy the area that is home to bears. Learn more here.

Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog