On a cold Russian winter night, it helps to have a warm, fluffy pet to cuddle with. Svetlana and Yuriy Panteleenko just happen to be snuggling with a 300-pound brown bear.
They found Stepan when he was just a 3-month-old orphaned cub, in a forest all alone and in a very bad condition, so Svetlana and Yuriy decided to give him a home.
23 years later, Stepan has grown into a loving bear who helps around the house by watering plants and loves watching TV with his humans. “He absolutely loves people and is a really sociable bear – despite what people might think, he is not aggressive at all,” said Mrs Panteleenko. “We have never been bitten by Stepan.”
Stepan eats 25kg of fish, vegetables and eggs every day! But the goofball manages to stay in shape thanks to his love for football. He also keeps himself busy with acting in films and posing for photoshoots.
This couple adopted Stepan when he was a 3-month-old orphaned cub
He was found by hunters in a forest very weak and lonely
But Svetlana and Yuriy nurtured him back to health
Now he’s a 23-year-old loving goofball!
“He absolutely loves people and is a really sociable bear”
“Despite what people might think, he is not aggressive at all”
“We have never been bitten by Stepan”
The bear eats 25kg of fish, vegetables and eggs every day!
He does enjoy his cup of tea, too
The gentle giant manages to stay in shape thanks to his love for games outdoors
But there’s nothing like snuggling with his humans on a couch…
And did we mention that gardening is his ultimate passion?
