A Tennessee couple who were on vacation in the Great Smoky Mountains just got the surprise of their lives when they found a bear relaxing in their hot tub.

Elizabeth Strickland and her boyfriend woke up in their Gatlinburg cabin at around 11am last Friday to find that they had some unexpected guests in the form of three black bear cubs on their property.

“I saw one walk around a corner of the porch, and I ran into the bedroom to look out the windows at the hot tub and there they were!” Elizabeth exclaimed.

She went on to say that one of the cubs jumped into the bubbling hot tub and even closed its eyes in relaxation.

“It was so cute, so we let them enjoy for a minute,” she said. “Then they went on their merry way.”

Elizabeth concluded that neither she nor her boyfriend will ever forget this vacation and the bear cubs who paid them an unexpected visit.

While these bears certainly are cute, the National Park Service (NPS) has reminded the public that they are “dangerous and unpredictable” wild animals, and to treat any encounters with “extreme caution.”

“Willfully approaching within 150 feet, or any distance that disturbs or displaces a bear, is illegal in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park,” the NPS said on their website, adding that the roughly 1,500 bears are estimated to live in the protected park.

I must say that I don’t know how I would have reacted in this situation! We’re glad that the bear cubs were peaceful visitors who wanted nothing more than to take a relaxing dip in the hot tub.