WEBVTT 00:00:10.240 --> 00:00:16.030 [ Girl ] Poppies blooming in the fields, 00:00:16.030 --> 00:00:20.210 mountains are filled with songs. 00:00:20.210 --> 00:00:25.240 You're the blossom of our hearts, 00:00:25.240 --> 00:00:29.200 dear bear, come and visit. 00:00:52-00:00:55 [ title ] BEAR WITH ME 00:00:59.080 --> 00:01:04.080 [ Valentin Pazhetnov ] I'm a trailblazer who’s learnt a lot about the life of bears, 00:01:04.090 --> 00:01:06.100 watching them in the wild, 00:01:06.100 --> 00:01:11.010 what they eat, where they sleep, where they go, how they meet, 00:01:11.010 --> 00:01:13.170 how they mate, what happens next. 00:01:14.140 --> 00:01:19.150 [ Valentin Pazhetnov ] It turned out to be my work for the past 40 years of my life! 00:01:19.170 --> 00:01:26.030 Based on my work, we found a way to raise and release orphaned bear cubs into the wild. 00:01:26.030 --> 00:01:29.020 Without them falling into human hands. 00:01:29.180 --> 00:01:33.170 [ Valentin Pazhetnov ] The main thing about our method is to preserve, 00:01:33.170 --> 00:01:35.130 [ VALENTIN PAZHETNOV, BIOLOGIST, BEAR RESCUE CENTRE FOUNDER ] Their fear of humans 00:01:35.130 --> 00:01:38.070 and everything to do with them 00:01:39.010 --> 00:01:41.210 Everything else is less important. 00:01:44.130 --> 00:01:47.230 [ Vasily Pazhetnov ] The two months when we get most of our cubs 00:01:47.230 --> 00:01:51.160 are January and February when they are born. 00:01:52.030 --> 00:01:55.050 Today we're going to the Kostroma region, 00:01:55.050 --> 00:01:56.220 to pick three cubs. 00:01:56.230 --> 00:02:00.190 Hopefully, all of them are healthy and in good shape. 00:02:00.220 --> 00:02:04.080 We'll find out once we get there. 00:02:05.200 --> 00:02:08.190 [ Yana ] Do you know why these cubs were orphaned? 00:02:08.210 --> 00:02:10.230 [ Vasily Pazhetnov ] People were chopping wood. 00:02:10.230 --> 00:02:14.040 Mother bear might have seen them, 00:02:14.070 --> 00:02:17.070 working too close to her lair, 00:02:17.090 --> 00:02:20.070 and ran away, abandoning her cubs. 00:02:22.000 --> 00:02:25.180 It's 800 km from our Center to Kostroma. 00:02:25.200 --> 00:02:31.060 We can’t spend the night as we must take the cubs to the center right away. 00:02:32.180 --> 00:02:34.070 [ Vasily Pazhetnov ] Good afternoon! 00:02:37.040 --> 00:02:39.030 We're here to see Sergey. 00:02:32 – 00:02:37 [ title ] KOSTROMA REGION FORESTRY AUTHORITY 00:02:42.040 --> 00:02:43.150 [ Vasily Pazhetnov ] - Hello [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] - Hi! 00:02:43:23 --> 00:02:48:11 --> [ Vasily Pazhetnov ] How much are the cubs eating? Are they in a box? [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] They eat more and more. 00:02:48.110 --> 00:02:53.220 [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] It’s ok, they are growing. They're lively, gained weight in just two days! 00:02:54.150 --> 00:02:57.030 [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] - Ok, this one’s a boy. [ Vasily Pazhetnov ] - A Boy? 00:02:57.030 --> 00:03:00.150 [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] - They’re all boys. [ Vasily Pazhetnov ] - Are they well? No injuries? 00:03:00.150 --> 00:03:01.200 [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] No, no, no. 00:03:01.200 --> 00:03:04.160 [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] - This one’s already walking. [ Vasily Pazhetnov ] - Great! 00:03:04.160 --> 00:03:08.170 [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] - The others aren't as quick but this one is. [ Vasily Pazhetnov ] - Amazing! 00:03:08.170 --> 00:03:11.200 [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] Nothing can stop them when they're hungry. 00:03:11.200 --> 00:03:13.240 [ Vasily Pazhetnov ] Some serious chaps they are. 00:03:21.090 --> 00:03:23.050 [ Vasily Pazhetnov ] Put the box in here. 00:03:23.050 --> 00:03:24.160 [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] We won’t get lost. 00:03:30.170 --> 00:03:34.000 [ Vasily Pazhetnov ] At first, I wanted to be a cook on ship. 00:03:35.090 --> 00:03:37.100 But my grandfather said, 00:03:37.100 --> 00:03:40.210 ‘Vasily, you should graduate from college 00:03:40.210 --> 00:03:43.220 [ Vasily Pazhetnov, Valentin Pazhetnov’s Grandson ] with a biology or veterinary degree, 00:03:43.220 --> 00:03:45.100 we need experts.’ 00:03:45.100 --> 00:03:49.020 He always told us we should live as one family 00:03:49.020 --> 00:03:50.210 and work together. 00:03:50.210 --> 00:03:55.120 When I was little, 8 years old, I helped my father feed the cubs. 00:03:55.120 --> 00:03:59.240 Maybe that's why I ended up in this line of work. 00:03:59.240 --> 00:04:03.080 I got interested and I keep doing it. 00:04:07.220 --> 00:04:11.060 [ Vasily Pazhetnov ] We should feed the cubs along the way. 00:04:11.060 --> 00:04:15.000 At this age they need to eat every 4 hours. 00:04:15.200 --> 00:04:18.190 That's why we need regular stops, 00:04:19.100 --> 00:04:21.130 to prepare their formula. 00:04:21.130 --> 00:04:26.070 Then the cubs go back to sleep for another 3 or 4 hours. 00:04:26.070 --> 00:04:29.000 And then we can continue on our way. 00:04:29-00:04:32 [ music ] 00:04:33.050 --> 00:04:36.240 [ Vasily Pazhetnov ] We cannot open the windows because of the draught. 00:04:36.240 --> 00:04:39.050 The cubs can catch cold, 00:04:39.050 --> 00:04:41.140 get pneumonia and die. 00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:51.100 [ Valentin Pazhetnov ] The ancient land of Toropets lies halfway between Moscow and St. Petersburg. 00:04:51.180 --> 00:04:54.110 Here in a small village by the woods 00:04:54.110 --> 00:04:58.240 The Toropets "Clean Forest" bio-station was established. 00:04:42 – 00:04:47 [ geotitle ] BEAR RESCUE CENTRE TVER REGION 00:04:59.110 --> 00:05:05.210 [ Vasily Pazhetnov ] All of the cubs ending up at our Rescue centre were orphaned for one reason or another. 00:05:05.210 --> 00:05:09.010 These cubs are tiny and need help. 00:05:09.010 --> 00:05:13.100 If there’s no help from mum, they need us, or they'll die. 00:05:13.240 --> 00:05:19.050 [ Valentin Pazhetnov ] Usually, bear cubs are born in mid January, when it's bitterly cold. 00:05:19.080 --> 00:05:21.240 The new born weight is under 500 g. 00:05:21.240 --> 00:05:27.000 Their ears are covered with membranes to prevent the dirt from getting in. 00:05:28.040 --> 00:05:32.160 The membrane dissolves when the cubs are 15-18 days old. 00:05:32.160 --> 00:05:35.210 Their eyes open only after a month. 00:05:37.010 --> 00:05:41.150 [ Vasily Pazhetnov ] A scared the bear will never return, to her cubs in the lair. 00:05:41.150 --> 00:05:46.090 Instinct kicks in to save herself for her future litters. 00:05:46.090 --> 00:05:49.170 You can’t see the cubs now, they’re asleep. 00:05:49.170 --> 00:05:55.130 [ Vasily Pazhetnov ] By our method, they can only be seen before their eyes open, in the first month. 00:05:55.210 --> 00:05:58.160 Or, in the Autumn, when released. 00:05:58.160 --> 00:06:03.190 Otherwise, they won't be wild anymore and will try to contact the people. 00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:09.220 [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] My father often took me hunting, 00:06:09.220 --> 00:06:12.000 and we'd see wild animals. 00:06:12.000 --> 00:06:15.210 It was fascinating to see how they live in the world. 00:06:17.230 --> 00:06:21.030 [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] The project to help these little bears 00:06:21.030 --> 00:06:23.010 [ Sergey Pazhetnov, Valentin Pazhetnov’s Son ] began before my eyes. 00:06:23.170 --> 00:06:28.020 The only way to monitor their behaviour was to take in 3 cubs, 00:06:28.020 --> 00:06:30.120 and observe them for 2.5 years. 00:06:30.210 --> 00:06:37.000 I was researching the living quarters they needed to develop into normal animals. 00:06:37.190 --> 00:06:43.170 [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] My mother was studying their alimentary patterns. Later, she took part in feeding. 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:47.200 [ Valentin Pazhetnov ] We call her "the cubs' mom", and it's somewhat true. 00:06:48.040 --> 00:06:51.040 She feels it differently being a woman and a mother. 00:06:51.180 --> 00:06:55.080 [ DR. VALENTIN PAZHETNOV, BIOLOGIST, BEAR RESCUE CENTRE FOUNDER ] And she proves to be surprisingly right sometimes! 00:06:55.230 --> 00:06:59.170 She says, ‘We shouldn't feed him this, let's give him that instead.’ 00:07:00.060 --> 00:07:05.030 and the cub begins to gain weight and grows into a healthy animal. 00:07:07.130 --> 00:07:12.050 [ Svetlana Pazhetnova, Valentin Pazhetnov’s Wife ] I adopted the mother-bear practices. 00:07:12.130 --> 00:07:17.050 I always made them to do their potty before feeding them, 00:07:17.050 --> 00:07:19.110 by holding them over a bucket. 00:07:19.110 --> 00:07:25.130 I massage their bottoms, because mother-bear always cleans her cubs with her tongue. 00:07:25.130 --> 00:07:30.110 She encourages them to defecate and then consumes their waste. 00:07:31.020 --> 00:07:33.230 That's why her lair is always clean. 00:07:33.230 --> 00:07:37.200 I figured out that they needed a little massage. 00:07:39.200 --> 00:07:42.040 I wipe a tissue on their bottoms, 00:07:42.040 --> 00:07:44.170 encouraging them to pee and poop. 00:07:48.010 --> 00:07:50.090 [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] We'll feed them now – it's time. 00:07:50.090 --> 00:07:54.060 It's important that we don’t talk, only use gestures. 00:07:54.060 --> 00:08:00.030 We'll change into clothes kept there, to stop bringing scents from home. 00:08:00.030 --> 00:08:01.170 We'll put on robes, 00:08:01.170 --> 00:08:04.000 pour some milk and feed them. 00:08:29-00:08:32 [ title ] 2 MONTH OLD BEAR CUBS 00:08:30.120 --> 00:08:33.240 [ Vasily Pazhetnov ] Bear's milk is very high in fat, it's 18%. 00:08:35.050 --> 00:08:41.150 So we feed our cubs cow milk fortified with dry baby formula and instant milk for added fat. 00:08:59.130 --> 00:09:03.140 [ Ekaterina Pazhetnova ] When we were weaning them off the bottles, 00:09:03.140 --> 00:09:05.230 and introducing to bowls, 00:09:09.210 --> 00:09:14.170 I said we shouldn't use deep bowls at first. 00:09:24.110 --> 00:09:30.130 The baby should stick its muzzle into it and smell the food. 00:09:49.080 --> 00:09:50.240 And it worked! 00:09:50.240 --> 00:09:54.110 The cub worked out it was yummy, it was food. 00:09:54.110 --> 00:09:58.020 Who cares if it's a bottle or not as long he eats. 00:10:24.090 --> 00:10:29.090 [ Vasily Pazhetnov ] When working with bears, you can’t start loving them, 00:10:29.090 --> 00:10:31.160 [ Vasily Pazhetnov, Valentin Pazhetnov’s Grandson ] or treat them like friends. 00:10:32.000 --> 00:10:38.030 Always keep a distance and remember you're human and it's supposed to be wild. 00:10:38.040 --> 00:10:43.040 Cubs might want to lick you or touch you, 00:10:43.040 --> 00:10:46.100 or feel you with a paw, 00:10:46.100 --> 00:10:49.220 you really don’t allow that. 00:10:50.070 --> 00:10:54.190 We keep our distance to be sure they know we're not friends, 00:10:55.190 --> 00:10:58.120 and they'll end up on their own. 00:11:00.060 --> 00:11:04.040 Sometimes you want to pet them and touch them, 00:11:05.080 --> 00:11:09.140 but this will only produce a negative result, I guess. 00:11:16.060 --> 00:11:20.190 [ Valentin Pazhetnov ] I had a dramatic encounter with a bear in the nature reserve. 00:11:20.190 --> 00:11:23.100 She'd been scared off her main lair, 00:11:23.110 --> 00:11:27.060 and went to the border of the reserve, 00:11:27.080 --> 00:11:30.070 found a lair and gave birth to cubs. 00:11:30.070 --> 00:11:34.080 And when I turned up near her lair… 00:11:35.210 --> 00:11:37.050 30 meters away, 00:11:37.070 --> 00:11:40.130 she pounced and attacked me. 00:11:42.230 --> 00:11:46.200 [ Dr. Valentin Pazhetnov, Biologist, Bear Rescue Centre Founder ] I shot the animal point blank, 00:11:46.200 --> 00:11:50.080 well, my gun was basically touching it. 00:11:51.160 --> 00:11:55.230 She shoved me and I fell. 00:11:56.020 --> 00:11:57.210 But I had to do it, 00:11:57.210 --> 00:12:00.060 because the situation… 00:12:00.140 --> 00:12:02.060 was quite critical. 00:12:08.040 --> 00:12:10.070 There is still regret. 00:12:10.140 --> 00:12:15.060 On the one hand, I know it was a life threatening situation. 00:12:15.060 --> 00:12:19.050 Then you look for any mistakes that you made, 00:12:19.080 --> 00:12:23.080 It turns out that the bear wasn’t to blame - but man. 00:12:23.150 --> 00:12:24.240 [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] What's happened? 00:12:24.240 --> 00:12:28.220 We won't make it. It's -10C. They'll freeze, Denis. 00:12:29.190 --> 00:12:32.100 Get the dogs, they may hurt them. 00:12:32.100 --> 00:12:35.070 It’s ok, the mum’s gone, get the cubs. 00:12:35.070 --> 00:12:36.120 Don’t worry. 00:12:36.150 --> 00:12:38.090 Ok, bye, bye. 00:12:40-00:12:42 [ title ] TO BE CONTINUED 00:12:43.220 --> 00:12:45.240 [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] Go on, go on. 00:12:44-00:12:47 [ title ] BEAR WITH ME 00:12:52.200 --> 00:12:56.180 [ girl ] Poppies blooming in the fields, 00:12:56.230 --> 00:13:01.030 mountains are filled with songs. 00:13:01.050 --> 00:13:06.080 You're the blossom of our hearts, 00:13:06.100 --> 00:13:10.060 dear bear, come and visit. 00:13:14.030 --> 00:13:16.060 [ Denis Zaitsev, Local Resident ] It's 20 more meters to go. 00:13:16.060 --> 00:13:19.150 We'll see when we get there. 00:13:23.130 --> 00:13:25.000 Here it is. 00:13:25.000 --> 00:13:26.050 Here. 00:13:27.090 --> 00:13:28.140 Come here. 00:13:28.160 --> 00:13:30.060 This is the lair. 00:13:30.120 --> 00:13:31.240 I got this close. 00:13:32.080 --> 00:13:34.220 The dog was hunting for a raccoon. 00:13:34.220 --> 00:13:37.070 He couldn't see it for the snow. 00:13:37.090 --> 00:13:39.080 The bear jumped out… 00:13:39.150 --> 00:13:41.080 and I fell to the side. 00:13:41.110 --> 00:13:45.020 The dogs scared it away and it ran toward the lake. 00:13:45.020 --> 00:13:47.130 I was standing right here. 00:13:47.160 --> 00:13:51.100 She jumped right at my feet, missing me by inches! 00:13:51.230 --> 00:13:54.190 I didn't have a gun, only the dogs. 00:13:56.070 --> 00:13:58.070 [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] Mice nibbled at them a bit. 00:13:58.140 --> 00:14:00.170 Two cubs – a male and a female. 00:14:00.180 --> 00:14:04.100 This is what happens when cubs are left in the cold. 00:14:04.100 --> 00:14:06.020 Give me the other bag. 00:14:07.050 --> 00:14:11.130 [ Denis Zaitsev ] I didn’t know what to do, so I left. but I heard them squeak. 00:14:11.140 --> 00:14:14.010 I got the dogs and left. That's it. 00:14:14.040 --> 00:14:16.130 [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] - Then you called me. [ Denis Zaitsev ] - Yes, I did. 00:14:16.140 --> 00:14:18.230 [ Sergey Pazhetnov, Senior Researcher, Biological Sciences ] We suggested he take the cubs, 00:14:18.230 --> 00:14:22.050 but he was scared and afraid to do it alone. 00:14:22.090 --> 00:14:25.110 We're about 50-60 km away, and it's -10C. 00:14:25.110 --> 00:14:28.080 The cubs froze in 10 to 15 minutes. 00:14:36.050 --> 00:14:38.170 [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] If we’d been there in time, 00:14:39.060 --> 00:14:42.150 the cubs would have been alive and had a future. 00:14:42.150 --> 00:14:44.180 [ Vasily Pazhetnov ] Is this the female or male? 00:14:45.010 --> 00:14:46.210 [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] The female. 00:14:47.200 --> 00:14:51.130 This one’s a female and this, male, almost new born. 00:14:53.030 --> 00:14:55.170 [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] The male weighs 528 g. 00:14:56.100 --> 00:14:59.180 [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] The male was probably born before the female. 00:14:59.180 --> 00:15:02.150 Even if the cubs are taken in time, 00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:08.200 the slightest hypothermia could cause pneumonia after 3 or 4 days, 00:15:08.210 --> 00:15:11.000 a massive pneumonia. 00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:13.210 A few times we failed to save the cubs, 00:15:13.210 --> 00:15:17.240 because we didn’t know they'd suffered hypothermia. 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:20.140 Or we didn't have the equipment, 00:15:20.140 --> 00:15:22.160 to x-ray the cub's lungs. 00:15:24.030 --> 00:15:25.080 So… 00:15:25.150 --> 00:15:27.020 A female. 00:15:28.230 --> 00:15:30.050 A female. 00:15:30.070 --> 00:15:32.060 456 g. 00:15:34.090 --> 00:15:35.140 So… 00:15:36.030 --> 00:15:38.210 ignorance can cause many problems. 00:15:56.080 --> 00:15:59.060 [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] To minimise contact with the cubs, 00:15:59.150 --> 00:16:03.100 by our method, only one or two people work with them. 00:16:05.080 --> 00:16:10.140 They wear the same clothes, cover their bodies and use no perfume. 00:16:10.190 --> 00:16:14.220 All scent that’s alien to the animal is eliminated. 00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:25.080 This helps the cubs grow in a human-free environment. 00:16:41-00:16:44 [ "BEAR CUBS" ECO-SCHOOL ] TVER REGION 00:16:41.170 --> 00:16:46.090 [ Elvira Pazhetnova ] I guess I’m in the third generation running this eco-school, 00:16:46.150 --> 00:16:51.080 [ Elvira Pazhetnova, Valentin Pazhetnov’s Grandaughter ] that my grandfather founded with his friends. 00:16:52.200 --> 00:16:54.070 It's a tent camp. 00:16:54.190 --> 00:16:57.120 Kids are extremely close to nature. 00:16:57.120 --> 00:17:00.080 They are studying trails after all, 00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:04.090 hence field lodging is used at our eco-school. 00:17:08.230 --> 00:17:10.070 [ child ] Look here! 00:17:12.100 --> 00:17:15.110 [ Vasily Pazhetnov ] First you must measure it and take note. 00:17:15.110 --> 00:17:16.190 [ child ] How big is it? 00:17:16.190 --> 00:17:18.010 [ Vasily Pazhetnov ] Here are more. 00:17:20.010 --> 00:17:22.180 [ Vasily Pazhetnov ] - How many centimetres? [ children ] - About 7 cm? 00:17:23.000 --> 00:17:24.080 [ child ] It's 7.5. 00:17:24.130 --> 00:17:26.100 [ Vasily Pazhetnov ] There, write it down. 00:17:30.160 --> 00:17:35.060 [ Vasily Pazhetnov ] Now, pour it into the footprint, slowly. Go on, pour… pour. 00:17:35.150 --> 00:17:38.000 There you are, now we wait. 00:17:44.210 --> 00:17:46.130 [ child ] Show it to others! 00:17:49.240 --> 00:17:51.200 [ child ] How cool! 00:17:52:00 --> 00:17:56:10 --> [ Elvira Pazhetnova ] When I finished school my relatives told me to study biology, 00:17:56.180 --> 00:17:59.030 [ Elvira Pazhetnova, Director, “Bear Cubs” Eco-School ] as my whole family is like that. 00:18:00.020 --> 00:18:01.140 I refused to go. 00:18:01.140 --> 00:18:05.010 For 10 years I tried to settle in Moscow, 00:18:05.010 --> 00:18:07.060 trying various things, 00:18:07.060 --> 00:18:09.150 but fate brought me back here. 00:18:15.170 --> 00:18:20.120 The cause my family pursues turned out closest to me. 00:18:20.160 --> 00:18:24.230 That's why I love everything I do here now. 00:18:26.070 --> 00:18:29.110 That’s how it is, you can’t cheat destiny! 00:19:12.220 --> 00:19:16.240 [ Vasily Pazhetnov ] You know, bears can't count and some cubs get lost. 00:19:17.020 --> 00:19:20.180 Cubs are like kids, some brave and some cowardly! 00:19:20.180 --> 00:19:25.040 If a beer has three cubs and one gets carried away, 00:19:25.060 --> 00:19:29.090 the mum can leave without knowing she’s left one behind! 00:19:29.120 --> 00:19:31.020 Some come to us. 00:19:31.020 --> 00:19:35.170 But if cubs are with people more than 3 months, we won’t take them, 00:19:35.200 --> 00:19:38.170 they can’t learn to be in the wild. 00:19:40.040 --> 00:19:44.210 [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] A mum bear comes out with her cubs in late March or early April. 00:19:45.040 --> 00:19:51.050 She waits for the first thaw to appear in the forest, where there’s fresh grass. 00:19:51.050 --> 00:19:55.000 So we take the cubs from the warmth to the cold, 00:19:55.000 --> 00:19:59.010 just at the time when a mother would leave her den. 00:19:59.040 --> 00:20:01.010 When the door opens, 00:20:01.010 --> 00:20:03.110 the cubs mustn’t see a human, 00:20:03.110 --> 00:20:06.040 they should see each other. 00:20:06.040 --> 00:20:07.140 Man must leave. 00:20:07.160 --> 00:20:12.030 [ Valentin Pazhetnov ] They must see each other many times so the image to imprinted. 00:20:12.060 --> 00:20:14.140 The cubs themselves are small. 00:20:14.140 --> 00:20:18.030 So when a man comes to leave food, 00:20:18.030 --> 00:20:21.100 they won't pay much attention to him. 00:20:22.010 --> 00:20:26.050 This was a very important change with our method, 00:20:26.060 --> 00:20:29.220 because it helps the cubs 00:20:29.220 --> 00:20:33.110 to stop being reliant on people. 00:20:33.210 --> 00:20:37.170 It ensures that they won't approach a settlement 00:20:37.170 --> 00:20:40.190 or any other place where there are people. 00:20:41.080 --> 00:20:43.120 Fear people is vital. 00:20:43.140 --> 00:20:47.140 Otherwise, they can't be released into the wild. 00:20:16-00:20:20 [ title ] 5 MONTH OLD BEAR CUBS 00:20:51.120 --> 00:20:55.100 [ Ekaterina Pazhetnova ] Elya and I worked together, we met 10 years ago. 00:20:58.010 --> 00:21:00.000 I came here on vacation, 00:21:00.040 --> 00:21:02.010 to her, to this house, 00:21:02.010 --> 00:21:04.100 where I met Sergey Pazhetnov. 00:21:05.000 --> 00:21:06.060 [ Ekaterina Pazhetnova, Sergey Pazhetnov’s Wife ] I stayed... 00:21:06.060 --> 00:21:08.090 looked around and stayed. 00:21:11.060 --> 00:21:16.240 [ Ekaterina Pazhetnova ] The longer I'm here, the less I want to go to Moscow, as it’s so different. 00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:21.230 You're free, not free from someone but free to go anywhere. 00:21:22.230 --> 00:21:25.190 I go out, pick mushrooms to cook soup. 00:21:26.040 --> 00:21:29.060 Or I’m out on my skis going to the forest. 00:21:29.060 --> 00:21:32.070 By chance, here I have everything, 00:21:32.070 --> 00:21:35.040 I ever wanted in life: my family, 00:21:35.040 --> 00:21:37.150 animals, forest and nature. 00:21:43-00:21:47 [ title ] 8 MONTH OLD BEARS 00:21:50.160 --> 00:21:55.200 [ Vasily Pazhetnov ] This year we have a bear named Viktor. He's never happy about anything. 00:21:55.230 --> 00:22:01.130 When he expresses his feelings, we can't fully understand what he means. 00:22:01.140 --> 00:22:04.220 It’s important he doesn't do this in the wild. 00:22:04.220 --> 00:22:07.030 He must learn to keep quiet, 00:22:07.030 --> 00:22:09.200 or he'll get a bullet from a man! 00:22:12.090 --> 00:22:15.120 [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] When there is a fresh grass in the woods, 00:22:15.120 --> 00:22:20.190 we open the enclosure so they can explore and find their own food. 00:22:20.200 --> 00:22:23.080 Then, we only feed them once a day. 00:22:36.050 --> 00:22:40.030 [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] Before being released, they only get natural food, 00:22:40.040 --> 00:22:42.220 and only see us once every few weeks. 00:22:43.160 --> 00:22:48.130 We spread out 40 bags of apples, and that's it, people don't go there. 00:22:52.070 --> 00:22:55.200 [ Valentin Pazhetnov ] Another interesting thing about our method, 00:22:55.200 --> 00:22:59.210 is that from a certain age, like four or five months, 00:22:59.210 --> 00:23:04.030 the cubs can go out to their natural habitat on their own. 00:23:04.030 --> 00:23:08.100 To where there are other bears, wolves and so on. 00:23:08.110 --> 00:23:11.120 It's a little dangerous for them, 00:23:11.220 --> 00:23:15.060 but that's how they form their defensive… 00:23:15.090 --> 00:23:17.090 and feeding behaviour. 00:23:21.080 --> 00:23:24.130 By early August we let them out. 00:23:25.240 --> 00:23:29.070 [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] Before letting them go, we put them in pairs. 00:23:29.070 --> 00:23:32.230 Cubs can be communicative or uncommunicative. 00:23:32.230 --> 00:23:37.190 Cub Nelya is great, very scared of people, tries to avoid them. 00:23:37.200 --> 00:23:39.200 It’s perfect for release. 00:23:40.060 --> 00:23:44.140 And Viktor is the most extrovert, so he'll be let out last. 00:23:45.220 --> 00:23:49.130 Well, you can see this cub is quite communicative. 00:23:49.140 --> 00:23:52.180 So he might spend the winter in the Centre. 00:24:02.160 --> 00:24:06.040 [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] Before release, the cubs are shut in their pen. 00:24:06.050 --> 00:24:08.140 We go and they're not there. 00:24:08.140 --> 00:24:13.050 Sometimes we have to wait for three or four days to lock them up! 00:24:18.050 --> 00:24:20.190 [ Sergey Pazhetnov ] Release is a routine thing. 00:24:20.190 --> 00:24:23.090 We have to immobilise a cub, 00:24:23.090 --> 00:24:25.170 take samples for tests, 00:24:25.170 --> 00:24:28.240 measure its weight and all that. 00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:32.010 We need to be sure the animal is healthy. 00:24:32.010 --> 00:24:35.150 So, a cub is immobilised and gets a mark on its ear. 00:24:35.160 --> 00:24:37.180 All our cubs are earmarked. 00:24:43.190 --> 00:24:46.190 [ Ekaterina Pazhetnova ] At first, every time I released a cub, 00:24:46.190 --> 00:24:49.140 it felt like a real tragedy for me. 00:24:51.010 --> 00:24:53.070 Because I'd brought them up! 00:24:53.070 --> 00:24:57.140 So instead of being happy, I’d break down and cry. 00:24:57.170 --> 00:24:59.100 I kept asking Sergey: 00:24:59.100 --> 00:25:00.220 ‘How do you feel? 00:25:00.220 --> 00:25:04.090 Aren’t you sad about parting with them? 00:25:04.090 --> 00:25:07.010 You’ve lived with them for almost a year! 00:25:07.010 --> 00:25:09.030 They live because of you!’ 00:25:09.030 --> 00:25:13.060 And he’d say, ‘I save them, I give them a chance to live.’ 00:25:13.060 --> 00:25:18.200 And I began to think I too was giving them a chance to live a real bear life.