Adorable Video Captures Black Bear Cub's First Playground Slide Experience

The school day had just ended at Isaac Dickson Elementary School in Asheville, North Carolina. Most students had left, and the ones in the school's "supervised homework help" program were inside the campus. Fifth-grade teacher Betsie Stockslager Emry was also heading home when she noticed two playful black bears entering the empty playground. What happened next will bring a smile to your face.

The video footage, captured by Emry on September 24, 2021, begins with the mamma bear demonstrating a slide by going down on it herself. She then tries to coax the cub to do the same. The bigger slide was too daunting. But the baby carefully came down the smaller slide and was quickly grabbed by the proud mother, who was waiting at the end. The heartwarming scene ended with them hugging and celebrating the special moment.

Though this is the first time the black bears have been caught frolicking in the playground, they are not an unusual sight at the campus. "We often have bears visit: our school is in downtown Asheville, and the students are used to going into a perimeter lockdown when the families show," Emry told McClatchy News.

Resources: huffpost.com, charlotteobserver.com