Fishermen Rescue Two Drowning Bear Cubs

September 10, 2021

Two fishermen rescued a pair of bear cubs that were left behind by their mother as they attempted to cross Lake Vygozero in the Republic of Karelia in the northwestern part of Russia.

"They had swum [across the lake] with their mother, but she overestimated her strength and swam away," Ruslan Lukanin told the Daily Mail. "The cubs began to sink. We picked them up and dragged them to the island to which their mother had swum.

"It was dangerous, of course. But they are living creatures. We couldn't just look the other way."

“Don’t be afraid, just don’t be afraid. We’ll rescue you, don’t be afraid," the men can be heard saying in the video.

According to the Daily Mail, the fishermen helped the cubs to shore of the island they saw the mother bear swim to in hopes she would return for them.