Shocking footage shows the moment that three bears embarked on a rescue mission to get a cub out of the road after it was struck by a car.
The incredible video was taken in Immokalee, Florida, and shows the black bear cub staggering out into the road after seemingly having been hit by a car, according to WINK News.
The bear then falls down and can be seen lying down in the street, clearly in some pain, before a larger bear appears and begins the daring rescue attempt.
The bigger black bear can be seen staring cautiously around the roadside, looking for a gap in the traffic. Once the right moment presents itself, it heads out into the road and grabs the little bear by the scruff of the neck.
As it starts to drag the bear to safety, the cub becomes somewhat distressed. That hampers the effort of the larger bear to help it out.
After the first sojourn into the road, the cub remains next to the hard shoulder, still very much in the path of oncoming traffic.
That is where the other two bears enter the fray.
They rush out and grip the cub with their teeth and make sure that they drag it completely clear of the road, and out of danger.
Despite the fact that the other animals managed to get it into the grass by the side of the busy road, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed that not only was the black bear cub hit by a car, it later died.
Unfortunately, this story does not have a happy ending.
The footage was captured by Lisha DeShay, a passer-by who stopped her car to observe the whole scene.
She said that watching the bears struggle to rescue the youngster 'crushed' her.
DeShay said: 'It was heart-breaking to see that.
'It crushed me. I see myself as a momma bear. I have a baby, so a baby in the road hit [me]. Whether it's a bear or a human, it's sad'.
'People need to be aware and drive carefully at night'
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said that in the unfortunate - and, you'd have to imagine - relatively unlikely, event that you do crash into a bear (particularly if you're in the UK, where there are no bears) you should stay in your car and alert the relevant authorities as soon as you can.
Featured Image Credit: ViralHog/Lisha DeShay