Otoscope Beta 200 helps

Wolves were already chasing him. Foresters rescued an abandoned bear cub

January 11, 2022, Joanna Potocka

Veterinarians from the Rehabilitation Center for Protected Animals in Przemyśl are fighting for the life of a bear cub abandoned by its mother. The little predator was discovered by foresters near Telesnica in the Bieszczady National Park area, close to the border with Ukraine and Slovakia. It was emaciated and in a life-threatening condition.

If not for them, the cub would not have survived the night. Earlier, a bear with two cubs had been seen by the river. The foresters started searching for them. Neither the mother nor the other cub was found, but there were tracks of two wolves in the snow.

The predators were following the cub’s trail, with blood marks in the snow. The lagging cub got stuck in a stream and wandered towards houses. However, it became trapped in the overflowing river. It tried to climb the uneven bank but failed because it was too weak.

The little one was caught by the foresters and then cared for by veterinarians at the Rehabilitation Center for Protected Animals in Przemyśl. She was named Ada, warmed up, and fed. She is now recovering, as an ear mite infestation was diagnosed. Veterinarians continue their examinations.

We are stabilizing her condition and monitoring her.

– says Dr. Jakub Kotowicz, who is on night duty at the Center.

Brown bear – a species under threat of extinction in Poland.

According to WWF Poland, the bear population in Poland numbers just over 100 individuals. Today, bears inhabit 5 refuges (habitat areas), the largest of which is the "Bieszczady refuge" (home to 80% of the country’s bear population).

"In the past, bears lived in forest complexes throughout Poland. However, their numbers continued to decline as a result of hunting for valuable fur and meat or extermination in retaliation for damages caused. As early as the 12th century, bears were given the status of royal hunting animals (reserved only for the elite), which, however, did not stop the destructive actions against this species," – reads the organization’s website.

In the photo, it is clearly visible how Dr. Kotowicz uses a HEINE Beta 200 otoscope to examine the bear cub’s ear canal.