Adorable black bears play with football they stole from children

A wild mother bear and her cub played with a football they nicked from local children before carrying it off into the jungle in India.

One bear can be seen pawing at the ball, grabbing it in its teeth, throwing it in the air and chasing after it in the adorable footage. The animal then makes off with the ball in its mouth and disappears into the trees.

The bears pounced on the ball when the children accidentally kicked it over to them while playing a village football match in Sukigaon, Nabarangpur district, on 12 September.