Video Feature: Russian Winters are Cold Towards Brown Bears
 Three orphan bear cubs, being rehabilitated at the IFAW OBRP, Tver Region, Russia, playing outside. Six bear cubs, from one litter, were rescued during the spring '05 bear hunt. Six bear cubs in one litter is a unique case and probably the first registered for Brown bears. |
FACTS about Russian Brown Bears.
As winter creeps up on us and the snow begins to paint a surreal image over evergreen landscapes in Russia, not everyone is sitting cozy inside their mountain homes. This year, once again Russian native brown bears, the last remaining population in all of Europe, will face an imminent fight for survival during what is should be a peacefully, rejuvenating, hibernation period.
Mom, with her newly born blind, deaf and toothless cubs (an inherent characteristic) can do little to protect her family from American and European sport hunters. Hunting dogs can easily locate a hibernating family, making it no longer safe to hibernate in the depths of Russian forests.
This video was shot during the winter season and illustrates an all too familiar scene witnessed by Valentin Pazhetnov (founder of the IFAW funded Orphan Bear Project). Adults are hunted for several reasons: sport, skin, gall bladders, and meat. The cubs that are left orphaned are often sold to circuses. However, the lucky ones end up Pazhetnov’s rehab center where they are cared for and released back into the wild.
Share this video with as many people as you can. I have yet to see a similar video that illustrates the true story behind bear hunting in Russia.
With your support, in 2008 we made an enormous difference in the lives of animals. Through Hurricanes Ike and Gustav...working with eBay to ban the trade in ivory online...to saving countless animals from cruelty around the globe...IFAW was there to help. Now join our 2009 campaign to protect whales.
Add your whale tail and help protect whales around the world @ tailsforwhales.org
Fantastic work by the IFAW staff there.
Man is capable of so much barbarism, as can be seen from the film of the bears being shot from just a few feet.
Posted by: Chris Gale | October 25, 2006 at 11:45 PM
Now you know the horror Charlie Russell was up against! What kind of men are these??! YUCK!
Posted by: SL | November 09, 2006 at 04:40 PM
Some of these men are Russian hunters, but many of them are "tourist" hunters from the US and Western Europe.
You can also do some ecovolunteering at the project in winter, feeding orphan cubs from the bottle, using the very special Pazetnov's method. An unfogetable experience!
Posted by: LS | November 13, 2006 at 09:24 AM