Bears are one of the most fearsome predators out there in the wild, and crossing paths with them can be an absolute nightmare.

It can also be serendipitous.

Thomas Owens worked as a State Trooper in New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest.

During his service, he’s seen countless black bears and that’s actually no surprise.

After all, New Hampshire is known to be the home of approximately 4,800 to 5,000 black bears.

Having seen them in the wild, Owens fairly knows it’s never a good idea to approach these wild beasts.

You’re never safe when these big hairy mammals are around, especially protective mama bears.

However, the inevitable happened.

While he was on his tracks, Owens noticed a mama black bear and her four cubs going back and forth on the road a couple of times.

Wondering what was going on, he decided to watch the bear family as they went along with their business.

Then suddenly, Owens finally figured out why they kept on crossing the dangerous road.

One of the cubs was behind them and it looked like the baby bear was struggling to keep up with the rest of his siblings.

No cub left behind.

The cub kept on trying and reached the middle of the road where it decided to sit down to rest.

Mama Bear stayed with him for a quick moment while trying to encourage her struggling baby.

The cub was just too weak.

Soon after, the mama bear made a very difficult decision.

Mama Bear decided it was time to move on.

She gathered all her cubs and proceeded into the woods, leaving the sick cub behind.

To help the struggling cub, Owens called New Hampshire Fish and Wildlife. While waiting for their rescue, he took the liberty of watching over the poor baby bear.

He unhesitatingly put his life on the line.

He’d be in trouble once the mama bear decides to go back to her sickly cub. Owens would be totally defenseless from the powerful beast.

Thankfully, none of that happened. Soon, the Fish and Wildlife arrived and took the cub with them to their rehab center.

Owens decided to accompany the rescue team as they attend to the cub.

He even took a cute selfie together with his newfound friend while they were at the rehab center.

Little did Owens know, there were actually five cubs.

As it turned out, the mama bear abandoned the fifth cub earlier that day because it was also sickly.

Luckily, Fish and Wildlife officials managed to find the missing baby bear in the area.

Knowing the dangers of waiting for the cub in the open, them being late even for just a minute could’ve changed the outcome of this story.

Soon after, the Fish and Wildlife officials took the rescued cub to the rehab center where he joined his brother.

The siblings stayed at the rehab center.

They remained until they fully regained their strength and recovered from their illness.

After this, a schedule to set them free was made by the Fish and Wildlife officials.

Although the reunion of the family wasn’t actually documented, we’re pretty sure everyone was happy with how this story ended.

On the other hand, the Town of Carroll Police Department reminded the public about handling situations where wild animals are involved.

“….and remember, never pick up or handle wild animals, this was done under the care of Fish and Game. If anyone runs into an issue with wildlife please, please, please contact your local PD or Fish and Game to assist!”

Learn more about how Officer Owens helped a bear cub in need in the video below!

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Source: Facebook – Town of Carroll Police Department, YouTube – The Dodo