--- title: Bear, Cubs in Swimming Pool in New Jersey description: Mama bear and five cubs found in Rockaway New Jersey swimming pool and backyard swing set canonical: https://time.com/4006334/bear-cubs-pool-party-new-jersey/ author: Olivia B. Waxman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-08-21T15:49:10.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-05T08:31:44.334Z og:title: Bear, Cubs in Swimming Pool in New Jersey og:description: Mama bear and five cubs found in Rockaway New Jersey swimming pool and backyard swing set og:url: https://time.com/4006334/bear-cubs-pool-party-new-jersey/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6ec29e8982372f7c/69886062cf40a80c54c3f572/screen-shot-2015-08-21-at-11-33-25-am.png?branch=production&width=618&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 618 og:image:height: 348 og:image:alt: Screen Shot 2015-08-21 at 11.33.25 AM og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Bear, Cubs in Swimming Pool in New Jersey twitter:description: Mama bear and five cubs found in Rockaway New Jersey swimming pool and backyard swing set twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6ec29e8982372f7c/69886062cf40a80c54c3f572/screen-shot-2015-08-21-at-11-33-25-am.png?branch=production&width=618&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Bear and Cubs Found in New Jersey Family's Swimming Pool > Sponsored content. 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Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=4b3cd3c2-6ffc-42e0-9385-9a9ddfa5b720&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Bears take over backyard pool [Watch (HLS stream): Bears take over backyard pool](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/pofSm1J3.m3u8) (6:00)  _Published 2015-08-21. Bears take over backyard pool_  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer Aug 21, 2015 3:49 PM UTC Bears take over backyard pool  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer Aug 21, 2015 3:49 PM UTC Tim Basso of Rockaway, New Jersey, found a mama bear and her five clubs taking a dip in his family’s swimming pool Tuesday. He [told](http://newjersey.news12.com/news/family-of-bears-hosts-pool-party-at-rockaway-home-1.10759499) [News 12 New Jersey](http://newjersey.news12.com/news/family-of-bears-hosts-pool-party-at-rockaway-home-1.10759499) that when he first noticed the bears, “My first thought was really, where is the dog? And where are the kids?” The animals wrestled while exploring his kids’ backyard swing, toys, water slide, floaties and caused some damaged some in the process, he told the news station. In one of the videos, the kids can be heard crying, and his wife can be heard telling Basso, “Leave them \[the bears\] alone. The water is already dirty. ## Transcript What if the mommy sees? It's okay honey, it will be fine. [ BARK ] >> Get out of the pool, go on! [ SOUND ] There's bears in the pool! I know, sit on Sophie's bed, you can see them. Your not going anywhere as long as the mommas in the water. He took my floatie! Tim leave them alone, water's already dirty. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] [ NOISE ] > One is eating my car! Mommy, he's eating my car! [ LAUGH ] He walked away, it's okay Sarah. I think it Just a baby. Now I see six. [ LAUGH ] [ SOUND ] [ LAUGH ] [ SOUND ] Well, that's it. The pool's done for the summer. No, look how dirty it is. There's no way you're gonna clean that up. Not event that it's dirty. it's that they're going to be poking holes with their feet in the floor. Well they're already in there and the water's not coming out. I'm just, Jesus. We're going to have to buy a new pool? Not till next year, Phoebs. I don't know sweetie, I think our pool is shot. [ CRYING ] We'll see, maybe we'll get a new one. All right Sophie, calm down. Hey. [ INAUDIBLE ] I know. I know. This is a hazard of wanting a pool in this area [ INAUDIBLE ] It's funny you know they weren't here all week because the water. Wasn't dirty, and they'll come back and then they [ INAUDIBLE ] Where's the little one? Oh, he's sitting outside. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] Oh, my goodness. The baby one is eating my bubble guppy car! What is- No, he's not gonna eat the bubble guppy car. [ INAUDIBLE ] The water's on right now. Look at the baby balancing. What if they eat When the mother gets out, I'm afraid she's gonna collapse the pool. What? What's the mother gonna do? Stand on the floor Huh? She's heavy enough that se might knock down the pool. What? She's heavy enough that se might knock down the pool. Could you turn the water off from the basement? No. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] Two are fighting. They're playing. They're brothers and sisters. They got a nice cool dip in the pool. One threw my floaty away. No, they just threw it out of the water. That one's trying to, it's a very fun backyard. Where's my floatie? [ BLANK_AUDIO ] Where's my floaties [ UNKNOWN ]? Mommy, where's my floatie? They probably pulled it out. Don't worry about it. [ UNKNOWN ] Not outside. Yeah. Cuz there are bear, [ UNKNOWN ] are outside then. The bears, the baby bears are gonna try to eat it and they might swallow it. One was walking. On its hind legs, yeah. They look like teddy bears, don't they? And one is on the slide. Is it gonna go down the slide. Yeah, I think so. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] It's gonna, it's gonna slip. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] I think the one walking, Ned, is so cute. No! Look, mama has got a little bit of white on her chest. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] Did the baby just get scared from that? [ BLANK_AUDIO ] Mm- hm. Look the baby's gone up the slide. Oh, slide. [ NOISE ] It's okay let them play. [ NOISE ] Are we gonna have to put clean water in that? Baby I think there's gonna be holes at the bottom from their nails That's why daddy's saying the pool's done. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] No. [ NOISE ] [ BLANK_AUDIO ] I don't want to buy a new pool. Oh! I like that pool. [ INAUDIBLE ] The next one's gonna look just the same. Don't you worry. Mommy, [ UNKNOWN ]. Because that's the only one Daddy's gonna buy. Wait, can the next one be pink? Then your dirty little, hey Miss Bear! Miss Bear is trying to use our floatie. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] Hey. Mrs. Bear. Hey Mrs. Bear that was expensive. Oh she doesn't want anything in the water. 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