You know how sometimes you get so caught up in a wildlife documentary that you feel completely attached to the animals’ stories?
This is how you’ll feel reading this article. Because it’s more than just an article, it’s a story about facing adversity, the power of nature, and the kindness of strangers. Read on to learn more about the heroic tale of a mother bear and her two cubs defying all odds to swim across a freezing lake in Russia. It didn’t go as planned, however. Read on to learn of the heroic tale.
A Tale of Loss, and Love
This story is about sacrifice and hope, fear and loss. It is about the unspoken bond of a loving family and two different species coming together to save lives.
When a mother bear left her cubs for dead in the middle of a bitterly cold lake, the cubs were in need of savior. Luckily, some fishermen nearby embarked on a rescue mission - but did they succeed?
An Unforgiving Lake
The tale begins on a freshwater lake known as Lake Vygozero, in the northwestern region of Russia. This body of water is so incredibly cold that temperatures have been known to go down to -4 degrees Fahrenheit, or -20 degrees Celsius (safe to say that this lake isn’t a major water-skiing destination!)
Given the lake’s large size and freezing temperatures, it is far too cold for humans and most other wildlife (apart from fish!) to swim in. It seems to be impossible to make it from one side to another without getting a bitter chill. With this in mind - continue reading to find out what happens to the baby bears that were stranded in this unforgivingly cold lake.
Somewhere to Get To
It is unclear, and we may never know why the mother bear decided to cross these waters with her newborn cubs. However, the maternal instinct is powerful in most species, especially bears.
So when she stood at the edge, felt the bite of the cold water, and decided to jump in anyway, we wonder what motivated her r to keep going. She was one tough lady bear - although this unfortunately put her two little ones in danger as they were not as tough as she may have thought.
A Terrible Decision
Unfortunately the decision to jump into the lake with her two cubs was not a safe one. With them clinging onto her back, her strength and will was just not enough in the freezing temperature.
They began their journey across the lake, but after some time it became all too clear that she couldn’t keep going while holding their weight. and that the cubs just couldn’t keep up. The cubs eventually ended up far out in the lake’s center, scrambling for dear life with no idea of where to go from there.
A Harsh Sacrifice
Now the story takes a painful twist. Mother bears have been known to be selfless animals willing to sacrifice themselves for their young when their maternal instincts kick in. However, this wasn’t the case with this mother bear.
Regardless of her initial intentions, she ultimately ditched her cubs and started to swim away, leaving them helpless in the water. This decision may baffle some wildlife observers, however, when it comes to life and death in the wild, survival instincts seem to have overrode this momma bear’s maternal ones.
The Current was Too Strong
We have to give her some credit though, as the lake had a very powerful undercurrent, which was already incredibly difficult to swim in. She did try, but ultimately after battling the current with her babies on her back, she found herself being torn apart from her cubs.
After being separated, she tried to save herself, possibly hoping that her cubs could make it on their own. After swimming for some time, the mother bear eventually made it safely to land. Sadly, without her baby cubs.
Somebody Help!
So now we find the bear cubs alone, exhausted, and desperate in this freezing lake. How will they survive now that their mother - their protector - has abandoned them?
The odds were totally against them, especially since young bears do not generally have much experience swimming in such a cold environment.
Holding for Dear Life
Can you imagine what this would be like for these baby cubs? Terror and panic running through their minds while the cold water rushed over them?
Even though they are not human, treading water in the face of death would be enough for any living being to be absolutely terrified.
A Rescue on The Horizon?
When all seemed hopeless for these little cubs, magically, a boat appeared. Quickly, the situation became clear - it was a race against the clock to save the scared little ones from drowning.
The fishermen knew something was wrong. With no momma bear in sight, they knew that they had to do something to help rescue them. Could they do it?
Tired Little Ones
As the boat got closer to the cubs, the disastrous situation became clear. The babies were incredibly exhausted and struggling to keep their heads above the water, and the crew didn’t know how to safely pluck them out of the water.
Interestingly enough, the boat was actually a fishing vessel. Ironically instead of catching fish, they were now hoping to catch themselves two little bear cubs.
An Observer Close by
Though the mother bear left the babies in the water, she was still very close by on the shore, watching the whole scene unfold. As this mother was a rather large bear the fisherman were unsure whether to proceed, in fear for their own safety. The bear still had a strong maternal instinct and they feared that the mother might try to intervene and climb aboard their vessel.
Even though time was running out, they had to wait for the mother to be a safer distance away.
Creating a Plan
As they waited, the fishermen decided to work out a plan for how to get the babies out of the water. What was the best way to handle this situation? What would be the best way to put themselves and the cubs in the least amount of danger?
They had to approach the situation with caution, as anything could happen. While they were just babies, they were still wild baby bears.
Get it on Camera
Because the folks at home wouldn’t believe what these fisherman came across on a casual winter fishing outing.
Getting it all on camera was a good idea - it’s why we could write about this story! The fishermen filmed the entire interaction when the bears and boat met. Soon after, one of the bear cubs started to try to enter the boat on his own, reaching with his paws.
Needing Some Assistance
The ledge of the boat was much too high for the little one, and try as he may, he just couldn’t make it onto the boat himself, especially in his weakened state from treading water so long.
The fishermen thankfully began to set their plan into motion, using their fishing gear as a tool to grab hold of the bear.
The Right Kind of Plan
Eventually, one of the fishermen came up with a plan to use the fishing gear to latch onto the cubs and bring them on board.
Bears have incredibly sharp teeth and powerful mouth-gripping abilities. So instead of pulling the cub into the boat, the plan was to let the cub use his mouth as leverage to pull himself up onto the vessel.
Did it Work?
At first, it seemed like the plan would work, however the bear was still a bit too far from the boat landing to be able to pull his whole body up.
So even though the fishermen were worried about their own safety if they physically pulled the bear up, they also couldn’t just sit back and watch. It was a matter of life and death, and they decided that they had to intervene.
Trust and Trust Some More
If the fishermen reached too far over the edge they risked being pulled down by the bear, falling into the freezing water, or worse - being attacked and maimed
So what could they do? They decided to trust that the bear cubs would work with them to make sure the rescue went smoothly. The fisherman hoped that no one would get hurt.
Please
There seemed to be an unspoken connection between the fishermen and the bear cub that got things moving.
Locking gazes and a moment of connection with this vulnerable life was all the fishermen needed to to accept the risk, reach down, and do all they could to save the bear cub.
A Bright Idea
And so another plan was put into action. Although it seems simple in retrospect at the time, with high stakes and adrenaline pumping, it is understandable that they didn’t try this sooner.
They used their fishing nets to try to scoop the bear out of the water - just like they would have done with regular fish if they hadn’t come across these stranded cubs.
Will it Work?
The biggest concern about this plan was the fact that the fishing nets were only designed to catch fish - not heavy baby bears. Despite this,they were willing to risk breaking the net if it gave them a chance to save the cubs, so they continued on with their plan.
Tossing the net into the ocean, they started with the first cub, trying to catch and reel it in with their own hands.Time was running out, and the cub was getting more tired.
Heavy Lifting
The first cub was caught in the net, and brought closer and closer until they eventually got it onto the boat! This was just the beginning, as they had to make sure the bears would not get hurt in the net. They also had to ensure that the cubs wouldn’t decide to use what little strength they had left to attack the fishermen.
Even though the fishermen had good intentions, the scared cubs might not know that and attack them out of fear.
Calming the Cubs
What were the men supposed to do, though? They had to try to calm the cub down enough to bring it safely onboard.
Pull and Pull and Pull
The fishermen soon realized just how heavy a baby cub was. They were at least grateful that these cubs were still young - imagine if it had been the momma bear stuck in the water!
Did you know that a fully grown bear can weigh up to 1,300 pounds?! That’s a lot of bear. There’s no way the fishermen could have supported one in their fishing net. While they were still cubs, they were heavier than normal because of their wet fur.
Just a Little Further
It was a good thing that these fishermen were used to tough conditions and situations in this cold climate, because pulling the fishing net with the first cub was a real struggle. They had to dig deep both mentally and physically to help this animal.
After a good deal of time pulling and pulling, the cub eventually got close enough to the boat to climb onboard. The situation was finally starting to look up.
Welcome Aboard
So finally, it was a success! They managed to get the first cub on the vessel, but it wasn’t time to celebrate yet. They still had another cub to save and time was running out.The second cub was treading water the whole time the first rescue had been taking place.
The second cub was further away from boat than the first one, so the fishermen had to try and get closer to get this one too.
Quiet Confidence
Since they had successfully rescued the first cub, the fishermen were feeling good about their chances of being able to save this one too.
But they had to do the work. Now that they had a successful method of extraction with the fishing net, he process seemed to go more smoothly than the first time to everyone’s relief.
Brother Bears Reunited
After mustering the strength to continue pulling, the fishermen managed to get this little guy on the boat as well. Now the fishermen felt just as tired as the bears after all of that hard work
With the two bear cubs safely on the boat, the fishermen were left with a big question. What do they do now?
Celebration
The fishermen could finally take a moment to celebrate - a few high fives and cheers were shared between them. With the two cubs saved, they could breathe and prepare themselves for the next move.
We’re truly impressed with the fishermen’s ability to persevere and selflessly save these little ones.
Not all Happy
Though the cubs were safe from the imminent danger of drowning, they weren’t in the best shape. They were exhausted, cold, and wet. They were also confused and in totally new surroundings.
The poor little things were shaking out of fear and cold. This was likely the first contact they had ever had with humans. Cowering in the corner, these cubs were really missing their mother.
Fallen for Them
The fishermen really felt like they bonded with these little ones. Having such an intense journey had brought man and bear together, and seeing the bears cold, alone, and in need of some comfort, it probably crossed the fishermen’s minds to keep them and comfort them.
However, they also knew that their mom would be close by, waiting to be reunited with her babies. They had to do the right thing.
Where to Take Them
Then it was the question of where should they take them? They had to find out where the mother bear had gone to. But did any of them remember where that was after all of the clamoring to save the cubs?
They searched for the particular spot on land where they saw the mother bear taking refuge. After some time, one of the fishermen finally found it. They made their way to the shore, hoping that the mother bear would still be there.
Another Risky Move
This was the moment where everything would come together - either in a dangerous and scary way, or as a loving reunion. As the fishermen approached the shore, they were unsure of how the cubs and the mother bear would react.
Would she run at the boat and tear the men apart? Would the cubs trample the men to get to their mother? They had to be brave and do the right thing, so as they got closer, they braced themselves for whatever might happen.
Waiting Game
It was a little bit of an anti-climax, however, as the mother bear didn’t arrive when the men landed. They had a feeling she would be close by - maybe watching from behind the trees to see what the men would do.
They knew the next step though was to let the cubs go - soon the scent would lead them to momma. The fishermen carried the tired and weak cubs onto the land to deliver them to safety.
But wait, is she really not coming? Or is something happening in the other bank?
On the Shore
The fishermen were not sure what to do now. The mother bear didn’t seem as if she was going to meet her cubs, and they feared that the little cubs wouldn’t make it on their own in the cold and harsh weather.
The fishermen were not sure what to do when suddenly they saw some movement from the other bank. It seemed that the mother of the two cubs they saved had entered the water and started swimming towards them. But what could they do now?
Approaching
The mother bear was swimming faster and faster, so the fisherman questioned why she wasn’t able to do this with her cubs. Maybe it was too hard for her to swim with two cubs, but now that she was swimming alone it might be possible for her to cross.
With every second passing the momma bear got closer to them. They were happy to see she was coming for her cubs. On the other hand, the fishermen were also scared to death by the thought of the mama bear approaching them first to take revenge for taking her cubs. They knew they just saved the lives of these baby cubs, but did mama bear think the same?
Coming to Meet Her
The fisherman did not want to endanger their own lives, so they left the cubs, went back to their boat and hoped for the best. They started the boat’s engine, and as they sailed away they kept an eye from afar on what was happening.
When the mama bear was about to make it to shore to see her cubs, they peacefully sailed away. Looking at the shore, the men saw the mama bear reaching the shore and knew that she was not going to leave her cubs a second time.
Farewell Fury Friends
It was a sad goodbye. After all they had been through, and the bond that was created, the fishermen found it hard to leave the cubs on the shore and go back out into the waters.
They were happy that they did film the experience, now they could look back, and also show others what their fishing trip brought them. So it was time to say a final goodbye.
In the compassion and the giving selflessly to another being for the pure reason that we all deserve a chance to survive and live. The bravery and kindness of these fishermen is something we can all take away, and remember, in times of fear or when others need a helping hand, we all have the capacity to offer that.
A Bonus Tale of Man and Nature Coming Together
This story is about a man and a wolf in a dangerous situation in the woods.
The man had set up a coyote trap on his property in Wisconsin.
He wasn’t expecting his trap to catch a timber wolf - but that’s just what happened.
We can’t even begin to imagine what was going through his mind when he found this situation before him.
This story was originally featured in a video uploaded on YouTube in 2015. The man, John Oens, had a lot of experience trapping wild animals on his property.
When you first begin to watch the video, it is questionable whether he had intended to catch a wolf.
The trap works by compressing the animal’s paw so that they are stuck and can’t run away.
It’s very effective, and even a strong animal like a wolf is helpless against the trap.
However, the hard part wasn’t trapping the wolf, but rather getting close to such a dangerous animal.
So it became a face off between man and wolf.
The timber wolf was unable to move, and John was not quite sure what his next move would be.
The funny thing about wolves that even though they appear calm and collected they can actually be feeling much different. By examining their breathing pattern, you can discern how afraid the animal actually is.
Also known as a common wolf or gray wolf, the timber wolf is the biggest member of its particular wolf family. They are BIG.
This particular wolf family includes some domestic dogs, jackals, foxes and other wolves.
Interestingly, these wolves are a very old breed.
It’s believed that they were bred over 1 million years ago in Eurasia and that they migrated to the United States around 750,000 years ago. WOW.
These wolves have been known to reach 5.25 feet in height when they are fully grown.
Can you take a guess at their weight? 80 pounds! Yep, the size of a small human.
The coat of the timber wolf is very thick and acts as protection.
The cold climate of Wisconsin is not a problem for the wolf. Their fur coats and paws are made to withstand extremely cold temperatures.
Their paws are known for being large and having sharp claws, but how do their paws withstand such cold temperatures? It’s quite simple - they actually have fur between their toes.
The way their paws are designed helps them run at incredibly fast speeds through both cold and wet environments.
Despite all of the impressive attributes of wolves’ paws, this particular wolf was trapped. Even evolutionary adaptations for survival are not match for this man-made trap.
The wolf was really stuck in a hard place.
However, John Oens wasn’t there to capture and keep this wolf...
The situation was much more humane; John actually wanted to set the wolf free...if he could!
He had only set up the trap with the purpose of trapping coyotes on his property for safety reasons.
He had NOT intended on capturing this creature.
This was the first time he had found a wolf in his trap, and he wanted to make things right.
Since he knew this was probably a once in a lifetime situation, he decided to capture the whole ordeal on film.
This is how we can retell the story with so many pictures! As he says in the video, “This is my first timber wolf of 2015. It’s a big, beautiful animal. I’m gonna go ahead and get him out of the trap and get him on his way.”
We also see two other people who were there to help Oens with the situation, one of whom was unsure as to whether the animal was actually a wolf.
They were both convinced that it isn’t a wolf, but instead just a very large coyote.
One of them said, “Really, it’s just a big coyote, John; there ain’t nothing to him.” But Oens wasn’t convinced.
Were they just trying to make him feel better?
After all, they’re not the ones that were going to be risking their lives to set the wolf free.
But he decided to go for it. He brought along a piece of large rectangular plywood to use as a shield as he approached the wolf.
What was his tactic? Oens made a hole at the bottom of the wood, that he put over the trapped paw of the wolf.
Of course, the wolf panicked as Oens came close to him, and snapped at the wood to defend itself.
It was probably just as scary for the wolf as it was for Oens, so it’s understandable that both man and wolf kept themselves safe with defensive maneuvers.
After some back and forth with the wolf chomping his jaw and Oens hiding behind the wood, the wolf calmed down a bit.
Oens’ was thinking smart when he hid behind the plywood, because it effectively shielded him from the attacks that were coming his way.
Meanwhile, Oens’ friends are seen pointing a rifle at the wolf in fear. They were worried that the wolf would get loose and attack Oens.
But Oens was committed to the rescue mission. He filmed the situation with his GoPro helmet attachment, so you can even watch what happened from his vantage point.
Then Oens began to try to open the trap with the wolf behind the wood.
There’s no trick or tool needed to open the trap. Oens only needed his hands to unhook a lever in the trap so that it would release.
At last! The whole technique was a success.
He released the paw, and the wolf didn’t run at the men - something Oens’ friends were so afraid of. Instead the wolf ran in the opposite direction, back into the woods.
The wonderful thing about this story is that by the looks of the way the wolf ran, he didn’t appear harmed at all.
What a big relief!
Oens is an internet hero, it seems. His clip went viral with over 3 million views on his YouTube video, and he impressed many people with his amateur skills while freeing the wolf.
One popular comment read,“Wow that piece of plywood was 10x quicker and more effective than the people who release using catch poles. Good job.” And we agree, he really seemed to make the process look easy - which is crazy!
Did you know, that in 2014 (which was a year before this situation took place) wolves in Wisconsin were classified as legally endangered? This means they couldn’t be hunted.
Oens was following this law (as well as a good moral compass) when he released the wolf back into the wild and chose not to capture or shoot it.
Not everyone was in agreement, however.
Some people - including those that are more afraid of wolves - have been pushing for legislation to change the law and allow wolf hunting.
Back in 2012, two years before the law prohibiting wolf hunting was made, the state allowed legal wolf hunting to try to control the number of wild roaming wolves.
Unfortunately, this led to around 530 wolves being killed in that hunting period, which drastically lowered the wolf population to an endangered level.
Now with the new law against wolf hunting, there has been an increase in the number of in wolves in Wisconsin,now estimated att almost 900, which is great news for the wolf population!
And Oens helped keep the wolf population numbers high with his valiant efforts.
This story gives us a sense of hope for humankind.
Even though many would have been tempted to deal with this situation in a different and less compassionate way, Oens maintained his compassion.
In a situation where compassion and kindness brought with it a lot of risk and danger, we are very impressed.
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