A mother bear has managed to free her cub from an oversized net with the help of an Alaskan fisherman.

The black bear cub became entangled in a large fishing net, which had been lying in tall reeds behind fisherman Dane Harvard's house.

Harvard tried to help the mother bear by dragging the trapped cub into the open and pinning the netting to the ground using his truck.

The anxious mother used her teeth and claws to free the cub and was finally able to rip a hole in the net.

All the while a second bear cub was looking on, seemingly bewildered by the scene. Finally the mother carried away the whimpering cub in her mouth as the three bears hastily retreated from Havard's backyard.