Two bears named Misha and Dasha used to live in a small cage near a restaurant where people would come to see them. They didn’t have much to do, so they walked back and forth, banged their heads on the cage, or climbed the bars just to feel a little happy.
The cage was right by a river, which made things even harder. Sometimes, the water would flood their home. One time, it got so high that Misha and Dasha almost drowned. Lis Key from International Animal Rescue told The Dodo, “A few years ago, the river flooded, and the bears were in big danger. The rescue team had to cut the cage to save them.”
For a long time, International Animal Rescue (IAR) worked hard to help these bears. Finally, with help from another group called the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC), they convinced the restaurant owners to let the bears go. The rescue team cut through the metal bars, gave the bears medicine to make them sleepy, and took them to a safe place in the mountains where they could run and play freely.
When Misha and Dasha got to their new home, they found a cave and slept through the winter, which is called hibernating. In the spring, something amazing happened—Dasha came out with two baby bears! The rescuers didn’t even know she was going to have babies, so they were surprised and super happy.
Dasha had a tough life before, but now she was a mom with two healthy cubs. Vicky Mkrtchyan from FPWC said to The Dodo, “We gave her lots of food like fruits, veggies, nuts, and honey to get strong before winter, but we didn’t know she was eating so much because she was pregnant!”
Dasha takes great care of her cubs, always watching them closely. Vicky added, “It was already wonderful to see Dasha free from that sad cage and starting to enjoy life. Now, seeing her with her babies is so special. She went from a hard life to being a loving mom who keeps her cubs safe.”
Misha and Dasha had a rough time, but now they’re in a good place where they can be happy and free. We’re so glad Dasha and her cubs are doing well, and it’s exciting to think about them growing up. What a great ending to their story!
Watch a video of Dasha’s rescue below and share it with your friends and family!
