This is the heartwarming moment a gigantic 450lb black bear shows he is just one big silly sud at heart.

The huge bear – named Finn – was treated to an impromptu bubble bath at his enclosure in Zoo Knoxville, in the US state of Tennessee, while keepers were cleaning it.

Finn and his fellow bears had been evacuated from the enclosure while the keepers washed it down with special safety soap.

But when they came back Finn made a beeline for the bubbles that had not washed away from the bears’ swimming pool.

And as the 10-year-old bear settled into the foam, it was clear he was having the time of his life.

As he dived under the bobble he surfaced with them all over his snout and seemed to revel in the applause from children watching him.

The zoo said: “Bears + Bubble Bath = the GREATEST thing you’ve ever seen!

“Ever see a 450lb bear take a bubble bath? Finn, our 10 yr old black bear loves the bubbles!”

Zoo spokesperson J.J. Jones told Newsflash in an exclusive interview: “To give you a little context, this was an unplanned event.

“Our bears have pools in their habitat that are used for cooling off when they are outside and for enrichment.

“These pools are cleaned regularly. Our zookeepers were cleaning the pools while the bears were off of the exhibit.

“They were using Dawn dish soap, the same soap you see used to clean off animals affected by oil spills in the ocean.”

He added: “As the zookeepers started to refill the pool they couldn’t get the bubbles to go down.

“Knowing that the soap was safe, they allowed the bears to explore it and see what they thought.

“We have three black bears at Zoo Knoxville. 21-year-old Ursula, 11-year-old Monty and 10-year-old Finn. Finn is the one that really took interest.

“So that was his first “bubble bath” and he really seemed to enjoy it.

“Any chemicals that come into contact with any of our animals here at Zoo Knoxville go through a vetting process with our veterinary team before we use it.

“This soap was hyper diluted, and posed no threat to the bear.

“As you can see from the bear’s reaction and his choice to engage with the bubbles, there were no problems from a sensory standpoint with Finn.

“Regarding what he liked about it: It probably was the novelty of the situation.”

He went on: “We go to great lengths to provide appropriate enrichment to our animals here at Zoo Knoxville in the form of things that elicit natural behaviors.

“While bubbles might not be something they would encounter in the wild, the smell and texture of the bubbles stimulate positive interactions and behaviors.

“Bears are curious, and they take in the information from the world around them primarily through smell and taste.

“This ‘bubble bath’ no doubt provided this opportunity.”

The American black bear (Ursus americanus), also known as the black bear, is a species of medium-sized bear endemic to North America.