Momma bears are a fairly devoted bunch, and because bears are so incredibly cute, the moments they enjoy in the spring when raising their young cubs can be truly precious. That's why we collected this list of 20 photos of adorable bear parenting moments.
During their hibernation, momma bears of various species lose as much as half of their body weight while their nursing cubs grow rapidly off of their milk. Some momma bears go so far as to consume their cubs' waste – to keep the den clean and to recycle their lost nutrients. Once the bears end their hibernations, it's time for the cubs to learn by example. Their mothers show them how to survive and the cubs do their best to keep up. After all, in 2-3 years, their mother will begin chasing them off to begin their own independent lives.
Image credits: Marco Mattiusi
Image credits: Edwin Kats
Image credits: Tin Man
Image credits: Anton Belovodchenko
Image credits: Gary Pollock
Image credits: Marina Cano
Image credits: Anton Belovodchenko
Image credits: Peter Stahl
Image credits: Marina Cano
Image credits: Anton Belovodchenko
Image credits: Nikolai Zinoviev
Image credits: Danilo Ernesto Melzi
Image credits: Marina Cano
Image credits: Sergei Gladyshev
Image credits: Nikolai Zinoviev
Image credits: Nikolai Zinoviev
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Image credits: Graham Erik Mandre
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Image credits: Sergei Gladyshev