Bears chased from backyard swimming pool by family dog

The three bears were spotted by local news helicopters as they took a cooling dip in Pasadena, California

Do bears swim in backyard swimming pools? Apparently so. A mother and her two young cubs were spotted taking a dip by news helicopters in Pasadena, California.

The authorities were first alerted to the three bears roaming the neighbourhood at just after midday on Thursday afternoon, the Los Angeles Times reported.

One of the cubs, said to be less than a year old, accidentally shattered a sliding-glass door at the back of a home after bumping into it.

Shortly thereafter, at around 12.30pm, a Sky5 news chopper captured images of the bears splashing around in someone’s swimming pool.

The footage was broadcast live on local and national television and became a social media hit. The 300lb mother and her cubs were eventually chased away from the pool by a family dog.

They retreated to a nearby rubbish bin and rummaged for food, before making their way to a second swimming pool for another cooling plunge.

Eventually the bears left the neighbourhood and returned to the nearby forest, to do whatever it is that bears do in the woods.