Veteran Israeli wildlife filmmaker Gil Arbel thought he had spotted a lone black bear before a mother and her cubs transformed the scene into one of the most memorable moments of his careerIsraeli nature photographer and documentary filmmaker Gil Arbel has spent more than two decades filming wildlife around the world, but a chance encounter in a U.S. forest left even him stunned.A few days ago, during a morning drive through Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the United States, Arbel, 55, and his partner, Alice Mandel, were on their way to film material for a nature documentary for National Geographic when they noticed a large black bear lying on the ground between the trees.9 View gallery Two of the three black bear cubs playing together (Photo: Gil Arbel)“We stopped immediately,” Arbel said. “At first glance, we were sure it was a large male simply resting among the trees. I started filming, but then we noticed that it lifted its head and looked upward. Seconds later, one of the most amazing scenes I have ever seen in nature began. One cub climbed down from the tree, then another, and then a third cub joined.”Only then did the two realize they were watching a mother American black bear, Ursus americanus, with her three cubs. The park, named for the morning mist that often blankets its mountains, is home to about 2,000 black bears across roughly 2,000 square kilometers, making it one of the largest black bear populations in the United States.9 View gallery One of the three black bear cubs rubs against a tree trunk