Dwight Lethbridge, the mayor of Cartwright, Labrador, was out on his snowmobile when he spotted a rare scene. A female black bear emerged from the water, followed by four cubs.
Though bears are common in this area, it was a shock to see such a large litter.
“First time I ever seen four was this brood. I’ve seen three a couple times in my life, and I often see one or two, but first time for four—and a great time to have a camera,” Lethbridge told CBC. “They were up under an ice pan hauling back seaweed and kelp looking for food. Mussels and clams and whatnot.”
One curious cub seemed just as interested as Lethbridge, at one point coming up to the snowmobile. Prepared for the worst, he was ready to take off in case things escalated. “I was only about six or seven feet away from the cub, but the mom wasn’t seeming aggressive at all,” he said.
Having seen lots of bears in the area, Lethbridge was very excited to be able to capture this rare encounter on camera.
“A good day at work. Just happened to be right time, right place.”
