A starving bear cub was discovered walking through a hamlet one day, seeking food.
A local farmer rushed to the cub’s aid and chose to take it home and care for it.
Nikolay, the farmer, now has a unique pet that is too young to live in the wild alone and too young to be admitted to a zoo.
Nikolay’s farm provided the young bear cub with refuge, warmth, and nourishment.
When Nikolay first saw the bear, he called the right people to ask for help with this strange situation.
Every time, he was given the same answer: either put it to sleep or release it into the wild; both alternatives would end in the d.e.a.th of the bear cub, which Nikolay was unwilling to do.
He and other hunters looked for the cub’s mother for two days in the nearby woods but couldn’t find her.
Finally, a local committee gave the bear cub a “passport” so it could stay in town legally. They also gave the cub the name Vasilisa.
Nikolay plans to build a large cage for Vasilisa to grow up in, with an observation deck so he can check on the cub from time to time.
