While driving through a portion of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee, Connell encountered a large black bear standing in the middle of the road. Her four cubs were huddled in the brush just off the side of the road.
“Look at those little ones,” someone in the car said. “God, are you kidding me?!”
At first the cubs were hesitant to make their way onto the pavement, but once mama bear gave them each a little nudge, they happily pranced behind her.
The moment was too cute for words.
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Since Connell uploaded the video on April 18, it has been viewed 36 million times and shared over 760,000 times.
Another video of a mama bear and four cubs–possibly the same family–has also been receiving some attention.
Faye Sykes captured a similar moment earlier in the month. In Sykes’ video, the cubs appear to struggle to cross the wet road.
In her Facebook post, she urged park visitors to pay attention to their surroundings and watch out for bears, especially during the spring when cubs come out to explore.
If you would like to help injured or orphaned bears, you can donate to Appalachian Bear Rescue or Point of View Farm.
If you are unable to give you can still spread the word about these precious little cubs and the importance of watching where you drive when entering a national park. Remember, we are visitors entering an animal’s home and we need to respect that.