Every year, illegal bear-hunting in Russia leaves a large number of cubs orphaned. One scientist was so touched by the baby bears' plight, he decided to do something about it.
When Dr. Pazhetnov started his work in the early 1970s, Russia’s “winter den hunt” was largely responsible for the orphan problem. Using dogs to frighten hibernating bears out of dens in late winter, hunters shot the mothers. New babies, just weeks old, were left behind to die, or worse, turned into pets and abused.
“The work was started in 1974 with three orphaned bear cubs,” Pazhetnov told RT. “I was like a surrogate mother. With my wife, we found out that the bear cubs didn’t need to be trained by the mother for the formation of normal animal behavior which would allow them to survive in the wild.”
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) joined Pazhetnov and his family 16 years ago, turning his practice into a world-renowned rehabilitation center. Together they have saved hundreds of cubs.
The Pazhetnov methods mimic the natural process. The handlers wear the same clothes to feed the cubs in the den house, so they smell just like a bear. They cannot cuddle and kiss, no matter how tempting it may be.
“The main thing is to put bears back into the wild,” Dr. Ian Robinson, director of Emergency Relief at IFAW, told RT.“They don’t try and associate with humans, and they don’t cause problems with humans afterwards.”
In April, the cubs are let outside and are then taken into a large enclosure in the forest with a shelter for bad weather. Porridge is gradually restricted, forcing them to become resourceful when finding food and adventurous regarding new tastes.
The main problem, scientists say, is that Russia does not have its own animal welfare law or anti-cruelty law.
“It is very difficult to get a federal ban, because a lot of important people and officials are hunters themselves,” Maria Vorontsova, IFAW Russia’s director, told RT. “Frankly, it is ridiculous that in Russia, there is hunting for female mothers in the den when they have tiny cubs.”
The fund’s most important aim now is to try and push for new legislation. Until such a law is in place, bear cubs are in grave danger , with only one fund to fend for them all.
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