Shocked beachgoers joined by four bears cooling off in Lake Tahoe

The bears left after stealing some food form a cooler

Shocked beachgoers watched on as black bears wandered the beach in Lake Tahoe (Storyful)

A family of black bears has shocked beachgoers in Lake Tahoe after they joined sunbathers on the beach.

Witnesses said a larger adult black bear and three cubs ran along South Lake Tahoe beach in California on Sunday near about a dozen beachgoers.

The adult bear reportedly took one cooler that was on the beach and started to eat the food inside, a beachgoer said.

This happened while the cubs played in the water.

“We were all a little shocked,” Jen Watkins told KCRA.

She filmed the moment when the bears wandered along the beach, appearing unbothered about humans being nearby.

People decided to shout and yell at the bears in an attempt to scare them off, but the animals did not leave.

The bears finally left after the adult animal – presumed to be the mama bear – took off with food from a cooler into the forest.

Placer County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Nelson Resendes said beachgoers should be very careful with bears when speaking to KCRA.

“They’re unpredictable. They’re dangerous … They can appear to be mild-mannered at times, but they can be very dangerous,” Resendes said.

He added, “Don’t feed them, don’t entice them, don’t provoke them and, obviously in a setting like this don’t approach them. Respect their space.”

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife released a warning in May for the public about human interactions with bears when in Lake Tahoe.

“Don’t teach these young bears to be comfortable around people,” the press release said.

“If they have gotten too close, make noise and try to scare them away so they don’t feel comfortable and want to stay,” it added.

“While it’s fun to see bears and even take pictures and videos, you’re telling the bear that it’s alright to be close to you. Bears are smart and acquire learned behaviours based on their experiences. If they have a negative, scary encounter with a human, chances are they will try to avoid them in the future,” the CDFW explained.

“Allowing bears to become comfortable around people can lead to unwanted activity including breaking into cars and houses or approaching people who are eating outdoors.”

Officials said they would monitor the black bear population in Placer County and move any of the animals that wander towards areas near people.