Many people consider themselves lucky if they catch a glimpse of a fish or seagull when they hit the lake for a swim. But, one family caught something a little more unique on camera while they were visiting Lake Tahoe (located on the border of Nevada and California). Check out the video below to see a bear family taking a dip in the cool water.
It takes a while for the people kayaking in the background to figure out what was actually going on.
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The bears in the video below, provided by KCRA, have visited the beach before, but they typically wade in the early morning hours or later in the evening when the crowds are sparse, according to KTVN.
The mother bear and her cubs splashed and played in the waves on the South Shore of Pope Beach at Lake Tahoe.
Doug Howard, operations manager at Tahoe Recreation says that the drought and hot weather may have sent the bears in search of a place to cool off and get something to drink.
The bear family played in the water for about 30 minutes before heading back to the forest. Wildlife staff came to the beach to ensure people stayed far enough away from the animals.
Wilderness experts say that while this is fun to watch from a distance, you should always keep your distance from the wildlife. "When bears are daytime active, that kind of sends up a little red flag to us that maybe they are acclimated to human beings and to human activity," Chis Healy, a Nevada Department of Wildlife spokesman told KTVN.
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Have you ever encountered a bear in the wilderness? Share your experience in the comments below.