Bear nurses: International Fund for Animal Welfare team rescues bear cubs

The bear cubs under the care of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) team have all met a similar fate: their mothers were killed during winter hunts, leaving the unattended babies to die in their dens.

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The bear cubs under the care of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) team have all met a similar fate: their mothers were killed during winter hunts, leaving the unattended babies to die in their dens.

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The foundation’s staff carefully prepare for each rescue operation in advance. They bring bottles of milk, hot-water bottles, diapers and special equipment for transporting the bear cubs.

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Bears cubs, like other babies, are fed warm milk whenever they are hungry.

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Helpless cubs that were only recently nursed by the IFAW staff will grow up strong and healthy.

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After full rehabilitation, adult bears are released into the wild. All of them wear special collars to monitor their movement in their new forest homes.

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The animals must wear this collar equipped with a system of satellite monitoring for the first year of freedom.

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The IFAW staff can observe their former charges through the satellite connection built into the collars.

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In the past 12 years over, 120 bear cubs have been released into the wild after being rehabilitated by the IFAW.