In the murky Lake Vygozero, two bear cubs escaped a scary nemesis when a man went out of his way to save them. Cold and alone, the cubs struggled to keep their heads above the murky waters of the lake.
Upon seeing her precious babies in the hands of a strange being, Mama bear growled and made a quick jump towards the man. What was supposed to be a heroic deed was about to turn into a tragedy.
Frozen Lake
Lake Vygozero is spread over 480 square miles in the northwestern part of Russia. When that fateful incident occurred, it was a chilly day in the winter season and the lake water was cold enough to freeze anyone to death.
That’s when a mother bear took her two cubs and jumped into the deadly freezing water. Whether it was a calculated move or she did it without having the slightest idea of the consequences that they might face, no one could tell!
Spontaneous Act
One reason behind this suicidal move could be the lack of food. During the chilly winters, the food on this end of the lake was almost minimal. However, there was still hope on the other side of the lake. Maybe that was the reason behind Mama Bear's spontaneous act? Nevertheless, they began their journey in that ice-cold water.
So, she threw the two cubs on her back and dived right into the freezing lake. She had her target set, only if somehow the three of them could reach the other side. She hoped they all would reach the opposite shore safely. But were they strong enough to beat the freezing temperatures?
A Mother’s Struggles
However, their journey began and the cubs clinged onto the back of their mother. Soon, mama bear had realised that she had made a huge mistake. It was becoming difficult for her to swim with her babies hanging onto her.
They seemed little but weighed a lot more than she expected. Somehow, they struggled and managed to reach halfway but had no idea that their difficulties had just begun.
Rough Waters
They were right in the middle of the lake when the mama bear felt strong undercurrents. It was becoming difficult for her to swim. While battling the rough waters, she made sure her cubs were holding her firmly.
It became a tough fight as she tried to move further. Now, she was feeling her cubs were being torn apart from her as she made constant efforts to swim further. It seemed as though she was losing it all.
Two Options
They all were in severe danger. Mama bear swam ahead but her cubs no longer were able to hold onto her. They lost their grip and began to drift away.
Mother bear saw her babies flowing away and had two options at hand, either swim towards the shore and save herself or go after the cubs and again cling them to herself. But the decision she made was a shocking one.
Helpless
She chose the first option and went on to swim towards the shore all by herself. She abandoned her babies in that freezing water! After arriving at the shore, she saw her cubs still floating in the water.
They struggled a lot for their lives but were slowly losing their energy. The tormented and panicked cubs were desperately in need of someone to help them. Their mother stood helpless on the shore until she spotted something unexpected.
Confusing Situation
A small boat was seen coming their way. It was a fisherman’s boat. The fisherman also spotted something unusual in the middle of the lake.
As they came closer, the situation became clear. They saw two little bears in the water, struggling for their lives. They also spotted their mother standing on the shore. It was a confusing situation.
The Fisherman
The fisherman was aware that the cubs needed his help but were also afraid as to what the mama bear would do if he tried to touch her babies. He waited for a little bit to clear his mind.
A few moments later, he finally, after weighing in the pros and cons, decided to lend help. But before he could do something, an unexpected thing occurred.
Rescue Attempts
One of the little cubs put its hand forward trying to reach out to the boat. This melted the fisherman’s heart and he leaned forward to help.
The cubs were drained of their energy yet one of them tried to climb onto the boat. But the poor baby bear couldn’t make it as it was too high to reach. The cub tried again but failed.
Deadly Thought
This worrying sight led him to quickly grab his fishing gear. He lent one end of it for the cub to hold. The cub used its mouth to grab the end of the gear, while the fisherman used all his might to pull it up.
While pulling the cub closer, a dreadful thought came to his mind. What if the baby bear attacked him once he came aboard?
Fishing Gear
However, he tried his best to pull the cub out but his efforts weren’t paying off. The cub seemed too heavy to be pulled out just by a fishing gear.
After several tries, the cub came closer to the edge of the boat and soon was gazing into the eyes of the fisherman. It was a scary moment, but the fisherman was glad he could help save a baby's life!
Another Problem
The fisherman tried hard to pull the cub out but it surely was too heavy. That’s when another idea struck him. He decided to put his fishing net in use.
It seemed to be a brilliant idea at that moment. While throwing the net into the water, he was afraid of one more thing that might happen during this rescue mission.
First Success
“What if the net isn’t strong enough to lift it up and break?” he thought to himself. But he was determined to rescue this little bear and threw the net anyway. He slowly reeled it and watched the cub come closer.
The fisherman made sure not to frighten it and gently let it on the boat. Finally, one of the baby bears was safely onboard! Now came the task to rescue another one.
Failure
The second cub was a little further away than the first one, which meant the fisherman would have to use more power to pull it closer. After securing the first cub, he again threw his fishing gear towards the second cub.
But this time he seemed more confident as it was his second attempt at this technique. Excitedly, he yelled “Catch it!” but the cub couldn’t grab it.
Reunited
Without losing hope, the fisherman threw the gear with all his might and this time it was a success! The cub grabbed the end of the gear and came closer to its savior.
He seemed tired but didn’t stop trying and threw the net. Gathering all his strength, he pulled the second cub out of the freezing water! Both the babies were now safely onboard but now came the actual moment of horror for the fisherman.
Frightened
The fisherman was worried thinking what if the cubs attacked him? But instead the cubs sat in a corner shaking from cold and fright.
Now came the moment when he thought that keeping the cubs on board wouldn’t be safe for either of them. He quickly decided to row his boat towards the shore and hand over the cubs to their mother.
Possibilities
While rowing to the shore, the fisherman tried to remain calm and also tried not to frighten the bears. Now, two possibilities lie ahead of him.
One, there could be a peaceful reunion of the bear family or mama bear could attack him for having her babies. He chose the first one and kept moving forward, prepared to face any trouble that might come his way.
Abandoned Cubs
They finally reached the shore but mama bear was nowhere in sight. He wondered if she might be watching him from somewhere so he calmly let the cubs get off his boat.
He waited until they were safely off his boat and expected their mother to show up. But he couldn’t find her anywhere. Had she abandoned her cubs thinking they drowned in the lake?
Friendly Hug
Just when he was about to get back on his boat, mama bear showed up on the other side of the shore! The fisherman took a sigh of relief. He saw the mama bear swimming swiftly towards them.
It was his time to leave but the mama bear wouldn’t let him go. She grabbed him gently as if thanking him for his help! The fisherman felt a sense of happiness and relief after saving two innocent lives and hoped the best for the little bear family.