Mama Bear Nurses 'Huge' Purring Cubs in North Carolina Backyard

A property owner in Asheville, North Carolina, spotted a mama bear in her backyard nursing three cubs out in the sun on Monday, September 7. Footage recorded by Diana King shows a mother bear lying on the grass in the yard as three cubs drink her milk. King comments as she is recording that a humming noise can be heard in the background. “I thought it was a helicopter,” she can be heard saying in the video. But the sound was actually coming from the bears, she said. According to bear.org, “Black bear cubs make motor-like pleasure sounds as they nurse. Similar to a cat’s purring, bears make this pleasure sound when they are especially comfortable, nursing, or eating a special treat. Adults make this sound with a deeper voice.” Speaking to Storyful, King said that bears regularly walk through her backyard. Her cat and dog usually notice them before she does. The bear had four cubs earlier in the year, but one was hit on the “Charlotte highway,” King said. “These cubs were huge and that’s why it surprised me that she was still nursing them,” she added. Credit: Diana King via Storyful