Get ready for some of the most paw-dorable pictures you've ever seen. Brian Matthews captured these amazing, rare and beautiful pictures near Churchill, northern Canada of polar bear cubs leaving their den with their momma for the very first time to play around in the snow. The pictures clearly capture the nerves the cubs feel of leaving their den for the first time, gazing adoringly at their mom and staying close to her while exploring this beautiful new world.
As The Irish Sun reports, Matthews said: "It was very humbling to be able to see something that very, very few people get to see. The cubs were really interested in the world in general, they were investigating and playing in the snow, smelling trees, looking around and generally getting their bearings."
He continued: "They seemed quite confident running about and playing in the snow, as long as they weren't too far from their mother. You can see in the photos of them all lying together how big these tiny cubs are going to grow up to be. It was just absolutely amazing to see the cubs playing in front of us, only about 50 metres away, and not at all fazed or spooked that we were there. It's heartening to see the positive side of polar bear conservation work."
Only after they calmed down a bit did the mother bear go and have a big ol' nap, her kiddos continuing to play around in the snow next to her. We hope we will get to see many, many more pictures of animals loving their natural habitats, and that this was the pawfect, smile-inducing start to your morning that you were hoping for.