A family of bears took a break from the heat last week to cool off in the waters of Lake Tahoe, while a crowd of beachgoers watched.
A witness to the event captured the three bears on video, showing what appears to be a mother bear with two cubs resting in the water. Two kayakers nearby watched as the bears exited the lake back on to the crowded sandy shore at Pope Beach. They soon retreated to a woody area, but not without stopping at a picnic table first to sniff around, as seen in another video uploaded by the same user.
The cellphone video, shared by NBC affiliate KCRA on its Facebook page Tuesday, has more than 8 million views. There are 250 to 300 wild black bears living in the Lake Tahoe region, the station reports.
Because of the ongoing California drought, the streams that bears usually frequent have dried up, Jason Holley, a supervising wildlife biologist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, told KCRA.
“They’ll really rely on the lake more heavily during times of drought,” Holley said.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com