Workers opened a forest visitor center one morning and found a tiny bear cub asleep in the arms of a giant teddy bear.
At first, nobody dared to approach.
The cub was curled tightly against the teddy’s soft chest, with one little paw resting on its arm as if it had finally found somewhere safe to sleep.
Staff quietly locked the entrance and checked the security footage from the night before.
Just after midnight, the camera had captured the cub wandering onto the porch alone. It stopped when it noticed the enormous teddy bear sitting on a bench.
The cub stared at it for several minutes.
Then it slowly walked closer, sniffed one of the teddy’s paws, and rubbed its head against the soft fur. Perhaps the frightened little bear mistook the toy for its mother—or perhaps it simply needed something warm beside it.
Eventually, the cub climbed onto the bench, curled up in the teddy bear’s lap, and fell asleep there for the rest of the night.
Wildlife officials were called, but before they arrived, a larger black bear appeared at the edge of the trees.
The cub woke, climbed down from the bench, and hurried toward her. Within moments, mother and baby disappeared safely into the forest.
The teddy bear couldn’t hug the lonely cub back. But for one cold night, it gave him a place where he felt safe.