Rescued Bear Maya Fears Even Crows, Park Says

Staff at the Land of Pride lion park in the Moscow region have said that 20-year-old bear Maya is finding rehabilitation extremely difficult. The predator previously worked in a traveling circus and was later kept on a chain at a dog-training station in Primorye Krai. She was rescued, but now she is afraid of everything — even crows.

«Maya«s utterly broken psyche from Primorye Krai affects her life so strongly that she is afraid even of crows: she looks for danger to her life in everything and everyone, becoming very frightened. But for several months now we have been doing everything daily, every minute, to help Maya stop being so nervous and afraid of everything around her,» the organization wrote on its Telegram channel.

During her time in the new protected environment, she has shed heavily, and her fur now looks glossy, whereas before there were severe mats and sticking tangled clumps. In a video, it is said that staff constantly enrich their ward«s environment and create conditions for her to «forage» for food.

«We smear and hide honey so that she spends time getting this product. That is, she doesn«t just walk up and take it, thereby not satisfying her nervous system with the fact that she obtained this food, but actually makes some effort. She rubs against these stumps, spends energy, and all this has a very beneficial effect on her psycho-emotional state, thereby helping us rehabilitate Maya after her terrible past,» the video says.

Also, during a month at the park, Maya learned to ask to be sprayed with water from a hose. Although staff call this a small intermediate step, for those following the fate of the rescued bear, it is great progress and a good sign. In the comments, people wish Maya to trust the new world sooner and find peace.

Despite the small chance of restoring the bear«s confidence, park staff continue to care for her and show that nothing threatens her anymore. But 20 years of confinement and cruel exploitation have taken their toll, and likely a strong fear will remain with her for life.

After several days at Land of Pride, another Himalayan bear, Finik, was brought to meet Maya, but she became very frightened.

«Maya held on with her last strength. And finally she won«t be frightened with dogs anymore, but Maya has such terrible memories from the past that because of any creature resembling a dog, she starts trembling and becomes very afraid. We decided to introduce Finik to her — he is a pathologically non-aggressive bear who would never hurt Maya. But Maya had a hysteric fit and Finik decided to quickly retreat,» the press service said.

The story of the bear Maya received wide public attention in June of this year. Local residents told journalists on June 4 about the animal, which was kept on a chain in a cramped cage in the village of Innokentyevka, Lesozavodsky District, Primorye. According to them, the bear lived in unsanitary conditions, constantly shifted from paw to paw, and beat against the cage bars.

After the publications, laika testing expert Alexander Bessonov stated that the owners kept the animal legally and had all necessary documents. However, volunteers who visited the site said they found healed wounds and bald patches on Maya, and that she spent most of her time on a chain, which was removed only during dog baiting.

Later, staff from the Moscow lion park Land of Pride joined the rescue effort. When they arrived in Primorye, the cage turned out to be empty — Maya was being searched for together with police and Rosprirodnadzor. The Ministry of Natural Resources explained that the bear had been acquired legally many years ago, so it was impossible to seize her solely on the basis of the current ban on keeping wild animals.

On June 17, volunteers finally managed to find and take Maya. According to them, the rescue operation was extremely difficult, but the animal was given a chance for a new life. Just two days later, the bear was delivered to Moscow for free on an Aeroflot flight, and specialists from Rosselkhoznadzor and Rosprirodnadzor of Primorye Krai helped prepare the necessary documents.