The Logar family had a surprise visitor last month. Into their garden wandered a roughly 3-month-old baby brown bear cub. Seemingly abandoned by its mother, the cub found itself a new family.
The Logars live in a village called Podvrh in Slovenia, a country in eastern Europe. They named the cub Medo, which is Slovenian for “bear.” The family, already owners of a dog, fell in love with the cuddly bear and decided to keep him.
They would like to build an enclosed home for Medo on their property. However, they are meeting resistance from local environmental inspectors and veterinarians. These officials would prefer that the Logars place Medo in a wild-animal shelter.
Brown bears are a protected species in the area. Only 900 remain in the wild in Slovenia and neighboring Croatia. Strict laws protect the bears from hunters and other people who might endanger the animals.
DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME
Although Medo is cute and playful, experts believe that as he grows into a full-grown brown bear, he will become too dangerous to keep as a pet.
Wild baby bears like Medo may be relatively harmless as cubs. However, as they grow up, their natural survival instincts kick in, making them dangerous and unpredictable. Physically they become harder to handle as well. As an adult, Medo could weigh from 660 to 1,700 pounds! With his great strength and size, he could unintentionally hurt someone severely.
In the past, some bears that have been treated as pets have injured or even killed their owners. One such famous story was made into a movie called Grizzly Man. Treating wild animals like pets is extremely dangerous. The best thing to do if you encounter an abandoned wild animal is contact a wildlife official immediately.
Even as the Logar family and the village authorities battle over custody of Medo, the rest of Slovenia has taken him into their hearts. He has been the subject of many newspaper stories, and he even has a Facebook page, with more than 550 fans. Regardless of who wins the fight over Medo, it seems certain that he will be loved and cared for.
