Momma bear, 5 cubs, play in kiddie pool

WILDLIFE WATCHING — This video of a black bear sow with FIVE cubs seeking relief from summer heat is worth enduring the entry commercial for a few minutes of wildlife observation.

Momma bear immediately recognizes the cool water haven in a New Jersey family’s backyard, but the cubs are more cautious, some of them testing the waters by dipping a paw and backing in slowly.

As they cool and become more comfortable in the setting, all the bears, including Momma, become more active and playful, leaving NONE of the toys and playground equipment in the family’s backyard untested.

A lot of black bear learning is going on in this scene … some of it not so healthy for the future of the bears living at the edge of human development.

• Moose like kiddie pools, too, as we’ve noted in the Spokane area for years. See the story and photo from this month in Spokane Valley.