Bear Cubs Embrace Pickleball Craze in Tahoe City

In a delightful twist to the growing popularity of pickleball, two curious black bear cubs in Tahoe City, California, were caught on camera helping themselves to pickleball paddles outside a cabin. The video, captured by KCRA 3 viewer Josh Klekowski, shows the cubs rummaging through a wagon filled with recreational items while their mother watched from a distance. The adorable sight highlights that the love for pickleball is not limited to humans.

Josh Klekowski, who was staying at the cabin with his family, recounted his earlier encounter with the mother bear while on a walk. He had a brief scare when the bear approached him, but it soon became clear that she was merely protecting her cubs. Later, from the safety of the cabin, Klekowski joyfully filmed the bear cubs playing with the items in the wagon, a sight that brought excitement and amusement to his family.

This encounter is a reminder of the increasing interactions between humans and black bears in the Tahoe area. Reports of such encounters have significantly risen in recent years, prompting the Department of Fish and Wildlife to develop a new Black Bear Conservation Plan for California. This plan aims to reduce human-bear encounters, ensuring the safety of both bears and humans as they coexist in these shared spaces.