Momma bears are a fairly devoted bunch, and because bears are so incredibly cute, the moments they enjoy in the spring when raising their young cubs can be truly precious. That’s why we collected this list of 20 photos of adorable bear parenting moments.

During their hibernation, momma bears of various species lose as much as half of their body weight while their nursing cubs grow rapidly off of their milk. Some momma bears go so far as to consume their cubs’ waste – to keep the den clean and to recycle their lost nutrients. Once the bears end their hibernations, it’s time for the cubs to learn by example. Their mothers show them how to survive and the cubs do their best to keep up. After all, in 2-3 years, their mother will begin chasing them off to begin their own independent lives.

Image credits: Marco Mattiusi

Image credits: Edwin Kats

Image credits: Tin Man

Image credits: Anton Belovodchenko

Image credits: Gary Pollock

Image credits: Marina Cano

Image credits: Anton Belovodchenko

Image credits: Peter Stahl

Image credits: Marina Cano

Image credits: Anton Belovodchenko

Image credits: Nikolai Zinoviev

Image credits: Danilo Ernesto Melzi

Image credits: Marina Cano

Image credits: Sergei Gladyshev

Image credits: Nikolai Zinoviev

Image credits: Nikolai Zinoviev

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Image credits: Graham Erik Mandre

Image credits: trolljenta

Image credits: Sergei Gladyshev