x
Breaking News
More () »

Momma bear and triplet cubs spotted living their best life near the Big South Fork

This bear family are pretty frequent visitors to the apple trees on this property in Oneida.

ONEIDA, Tenn. — A mother bear in East Tennessee has evidently found a great place to raise a family!

An Oneida family who lives near the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area are entertained regularly by the antics of a bear family that comes to eat out of their apple tree from time to time.

The cubs roll around and play between snacks and are generally the cutest things ever!

Family members said the mother bear is no stranger to them. This is actually the third set of triplet cubs they've seen her raise over the last few years.

Since they all look pretty fat and happy, she must be doing something right!

The human family, of course, watches from afar and doesn't get too close when the bear family comes to visit.

Bears are amazing and we love seeing them in East Tennessee, but we have to remember to be responsible to protect ourselves and the wildlife.

TWRA recommends keeping trash secured in areas where bears are active, and not leaving pet food or bird feeders out.

And, of course, you should always keep a respectable difference between you and a bear, especially one with cubs! In the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, people are supposed to stay at least 50 feet away from wild animals.

Check out more bear videos and stories below:

RELATED: "One woman's trash is a bear's treasure" Bear steals trash off S. Knox Co. porch

RELATED: Vacationing near the Smokies? Bear safety tips for your cabin or hotel

RELATED: WATCH: There's a bear in your car, and wow, what a mess!

RELATED: TWRA video shows mama bear nursing her cubs on side of road near Gatlinburg

RELATED: More bears, more people, more problems: BearWise taskforce tackles Smokies conflict

RELATED: 'Two very large black bears in my front yard': Surprised Knoxvillians flood 911 center with calls

RELATED: TWRA: Feeding a bear leads to nothing but trouble

RELATED: There's a visitor! This black bear yearling got into an occupied Gatlinburg cabin

RELATED: TDOT installs new bear crossing signs on I-40 near North Carolina line

RELATED: Aren't bears supposed to hibernate in the winter?

RELATED: Bear-proofing lags behind animal expansion in East Tennessee

RELATED: Bears develop taste for hot tub covers

RELATED: A beary good attempt: Bear tries to take a dip in Gatlinburg tourist's hot tub

RELATED: Bear cubs lock themselves in a Gatlinburg van, then honk until a human let them out

RELATED: Not the ring bear-er: Black bear photobombs bride, groom in Gatlinburg

RELATED: Weeks after bear video goes viral, Smokies officials hope people actually get the message about approaching wildlife

RELATED: WATCH: A Cades Cove visitor confronted a momma bear and her cubs, so she charged

RELATED: Mama, wait up! Four famously adorable baby bears frolic around Wears Valley

Before You Leave, Check This Out