The story of the bear cub’s rescue

A little bear cub named Yozhik has made a long journey to his new home – the Karelian Zoo, where he is receiving treatment, care, and rehabilitation. At the end of March, tourists found the emaciated cub near a taiga tourist lodge. It turned out that a year earlier, poachers had killed his mother and taken him as a “living toy”: they had pulled out his incisors and canines and subjected him to cruel torment. According to one theory, the bear cub was used for training hunting dogs – and then abandoned in the winter taiga, left to face certain death. But a miracle happened: Yozhik survived and found his way to people! Today, he is at the Karelian Zoo – a place that rescues injured and maimed animals. Despite the horrors he has endured, the bear cub has remained trusting… though his troubles are not over yet: he has a critically low body weight, no teeth, digestive problems, and a deep psychological trauma that requires long‑term rehabilitation. Let’s show Yozhik that he is not alone and that the world is full of kind people!