KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Two orphaned black bear cubs arrived at the Appalachian Bear Rescue Wednesday morning after their mother died in East Tennessee.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency spokesperson said the mother had been killed in self defense. The man said the bear kept coming towards him after he attempted to scare her away.

“We often see this type of behavior when bears are habituated to human foods  and approach people expecting a handout. This residence is near a cabin community that does not secure garbage from bears,” the spokesperson said.

According to the Appalachian Bear Rescue, the siblings, “Puddin” and “Caramel,” were in the Pigeon Forge area. Curators assisted the TWRA biologist to set up cub traps in order to rescue them.

Soon, both of the cubs were trapped and taken to the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine for evaluation.

The two bears were examined and found to be healthy. They reportedly only needed deworming medicine, according to the Appalachian Bear Rescue.

Puddin, a male cub reportedly weighs 28.6 pounds and his sister, Caramel weighs 24.2 pounds.

The Appalachian Bear Rescue says they are staying in the Recovery Center. The curators are hoping to release both cubs into the Wild Enclosure.