Mama Bear, 3 Cubs Climb Down Tree In Virginia After Long Nap [Watch]

A mother black bear and her three cubs who climbed up a tree in a Virginia neighborhood have come down on their own after a long nap.

The dispatchers were first alerted about the bears around 2 a.m. Monday, police spokesperson Leo Kosinski told The Virginian Pilot. The bears were later spotted snoozing in a tree.

Chesapeake Animal Services confirmed in a Facebook post that the animals were seen napping in a tree in the neighborhood near Western Branch High School on Monday morning.

"Due to the location and number of bears (family unit with a protective mama bear), Chesapeake Animal Control Officers and Chesapeake Police responded to the area and Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources personnel joined them to assess the situation," the post said.

Authorities quickly blocked the roads near the bears in order to "give them space and encourage them to move along." The nearby residents were also asked to remain indoors.

"While bears are beautiful to look at, it is extremely important for people to stay away from them. Black Bears can be unpredictable, especially when sows (mothers) have cubs. The situation is very stressful for the bears, so it's important to stay away from the area. That includes driving past the site," the post continued.

Eventually, the mama bear and her three babies "came down from the tree on their own and moved on around midnight," Chesapeake Animal Services said in an update Tuesday.

Kayla Gaskin, who works with WAVY News, tweeted a video of the bears running across the street after climbing down the tree.

Meanwhile, Gray Anderson, chief of wildlife at Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, said bears entering the neighborhood was likely an isolated incident.

"It's not uncommon at all for bears to climb trees. It's also against popular belief for bears to enter a hibernation phase in coastal areas like this one," he told The Virginian Pilot. "Our biggest issue is people feeding the bears or bears behaving in an unnatural way," Anderson added.

Black bears are the most common bears in North America. They usually live in forests and are excellent tree climbers, according to National Geographic. They can also be found in swamps and mountains. Considered solitary animals, black bears roam large territories.