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Sparta, N.J. Woman Captures Beautiful Pictures Of Family Of Bears

SPARTA, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- One New Jersey neighborhood was too big, and one was too small, but a mother bear and her cubs found a tree in a neighborhood that was just right.

As CBS 2's Christine Sloan reported Friday, an intrepid Sparta, N.J. woman captured photos of the bears. The amazing pictures showed the mama bear climbing up a tree, and her adorable cubs following her in her footsteps.

Laura Louie, who described herself as a housewife and photographer, took the photos in the backyard of a home in Sparta.

"It all started innocently enough -- one of the neighbors called me and said, 'There's is a bear in a tree; you've got to come over here and see this," Louie said. "So idiot me grabs the camera and takes off running."

Louie made sure to stay 50 feet away and close to a door, as the mother of the cubs taught her little ones the art of climbing a tree – taking breaks to watch them.

"They were like the size of cats, and so she warned me, like: 'Stay back. There's definitely a mama is around, and then we saw the mom and it was adorable – she was right on top of them climbing up the tree, taking care of them," Louie said. "You could hear the babies crying."

It was not Louie herself who sent CBS 2 the photos, but her friend Gina Montesano.

"They were great," Montesano said. "I had to share them. I was so excited for my girlfriend."

"I was in a photography club and I always got my photos torn to shreds, so that's why I never share them with anybody," Louie said.

But Louie's photography club days are behind her, and her latest photos bear witness to her skill.

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