Have you ever heard a bear purr? Listen for yourself in ‘adorable’ Pennsylvania video

Many people associate growling and huffing sounds with black bears, but did you know they’re also known to purr and hum?

At least when they’re cubs while nursing, shown in a video by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

The video provides an up-close look at several black bear cubs, who are making some rather fascinating sounds. The purring and humming sounds are not uncommon for black bears while they are nursing, the game commission said.

“Interesting, I have never heard that before,” one woman commented.

The bears in the video will likely weigh between 60 and 100 pounds by the fall, but for now they are tiny cubs making some cute noises.

Officials with the Pennsylvania Game Commission give the bears metal ear tags so wildlife biologists can monitor their movements and survival. But why the need for tags on both ears?

“Bears are notorious for losing tags, therefore bears are tagged in both ears to increase the probability that the bear remains ear tagged,” the commission said in the comments.

More than 87,000 people have viewed the video in 19 hours and many have commented on the “adorable” sounds.

“This is so fascinating! They are so cute too,” one woman said.

“I never would’ve known this sweet noise,” said another commenter.

This story was originally published March 25, 2022 at 6:13 AM with the headline "Have you ever heard a bear purr? Listen for yourself in ‘adorable’ Pennsylvania video."