POING, GERMANY - APRIL 27: Brown bear cubs play with their mother, Mia, at a wildlife park on April 27, 2007, in Poing, Germany. There is a discussion in Bavaria over reintroducing bears into the wild since roaming brown bear "Bruno" was shot last summer in the Bavarian Alps. Brown bears were originally domestic in Germany, but the species was eradicated about 170 years ago. Brown bear Mia in the Poing wildlife Park is from Swedish origin, her three cubs Molly, Mette and Maja were born December 28, 2006. (Photo by Johannes Simon/Getty Images)

This happened in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee.  Some guy approached some bear cubs that were crossing a road with their mother.

He either he didn’t know or didn’t care that mother bears are fiercely protective . . . and this one started charging him, but then stopped once he backed away.  The move is called a “bluff charge” and if he hadn’t backed up, she probably would’ve attacked.

Momma bear charges visitor approaching her cubs

On Saturday, a momma bear charged a man at Cades Cove after he repeatedly tried to approach her cubs. Video submitted by 10News viewer Paige Marple.

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Here's why the mama bear who charged at a Cades Cove visitor won't be euthanized

CLOSE Officials have thus far been unable to identify the man who provoked a mama black bear to charge at him by coming within feet of her cubs at Cades Cove on Saturday.