The incredible moment a black bear cub was rescued by its mother after it got stranded on the edge of a busy road has been caught on camera.
The adorable baby bear was at Kootenay National Park, which is located in southeastern British Columbia in Canada when it found itself on the wrong side of a highway.
The initially adventurous creature can be seen in the footage nervously backing away from the traffic clearly overwhelmed by its unfamiliar surroundings.
Family: The baby’s mother, flanked by another cub, scoops up the bear in her mouth
Oh no: The adorable baby bear was at Kootenay National Park, which is located in southeastern British Columbia in Canada when it found itself on the wrong side of a highway
Its mother is similarly frightened about the predicament her little one is in but luckily her maternal reflexes kick in.
Just in time, the mother bear, with a second cub by her side, reaches over the cement boundary into the highway to rescue her child, scooping it up in her mouth and hauling it to safety.
The unforgettable moment was filmed by tornado hunter, Ricky Forbes, who was driving when he noticed the black bear sitting dangerously close to the highway and stopped to capture the moment.
Forbes said: ‘It was a very amazing sight to see.’
Scared: The previously adventurous creature can be seen in the footage nervously backing away from the traffic clearly overwhelmed by its unfamiliar surroundings
Family: The baby’s mother, flanked by another cub, scoops up the bear in her mouth
Kootenay National Park is located in the Canadian Rockies, and forms part of a World Heritage Site.
The amazing rescue comes less than a week after a black bear was hit and killed along the Trans-Canada Highway in nearby Yoho National Park, prompting a reminder to motorists to watch for wildlife.
Wildlife staff responded to a report from one of their Parks Canada colleagues on May 14 about a dead bear near the Ottertail viewpoint. The creature was an adult.
Phew: Just in time, the mother bear, pulls her little one over the cement boundary and hauling it to safety
Wow: The unforgettable moment was filmed by tornado hunter Ricky Forbes who was driving when he noticed the black bear sitting dangerously close to the highway and stopped
‘It was very clearly hit by a vehicle,’ Brianna Burley, Lake Louise, Yoho and Kootenay national parks human and wildlife conflict specialist told the Calgary Herald.
The collision was not reported, but they found some debris on the highway.
The death of the bear was the first roadway mortality of the year in the mountain parks.
‘It’s an important reminder that spring is here,’ Burley said. ‘Green up is occurring along the roadside. We’re seeing a lot of animals.’
The bears are more prevalent near roads at dawn and dusk, and motorists have been told to watch their speed for their own safety.