Woman Rescues Bear from Closed-Down Zoo and They Become Best Friends

Though Russia’s coat of arms is a double-headed eagle, the bear is the unofficial mascot of Russia, and some might say even more popular and widely associated with the country. While the rest of the world prefers cats and dogs, seemingly only Russians can prefer bears as pets. Today’s story is exactly about that.

Novosibirsk resident Veronica Dichka can proudly say that Archie is her trusty companion. Archie, who is also from Novosibirsk, was initially rescued from a circus by Maya Kirsanova as a cub. He lived in a safari park along with a few other bears until it had to close down due to the pandemic. As time passed, it became increasingly difficult to maintain the shelter, and that’s where the brave Veronica came into the picture and adopted him. It’s worth mentioning that Veronica previously worked with the bear on a few photoshoots, but was only an acquaintance to Archie. But now they’re inseparable, and the photos you’ll see below are a testament to their special relationship.