For most of us, even being near a 400-pound brown bear sounds intimidating, never mind cuddling up to one. But what if I told you that for this Russian couple, eating with a bear was just as enjoyable for them as it is for the rest of us to play with our puppies? That’s because Stepan, a fully grown bear who lives with Svetlana and Yuriy Panteleenko, has been a happy family member for over 23 years!
Stepan was a 3-month-old cub when this heartwarming love story began more than two decades ago. When some hunters came across the tiny cub in the woods, he was in terrible condition. Because his mother was nowhere to be found, the men took the crying tiny bear because he had no chance of survival in the wild.
They introduced him to Svetlana and Yuriy from Moscow, who agreed to look after the helpless bear cub at least until he recovered completely. But time has passed, and Stepan is still living with his human parents. Despite his 7-foot height and 400-pound weight, the massive bear is nothing but a gentle giant!
“He loves people and is a sociable bear – contrary to popular belief, he is not aggressive at all,” Svetlana said. “We’ve never had him bite us.”
Nonetheless, they treat him with respect because, despite being fully domesticated, Stepan is still a wild animal with lethal instincts. But, as it turns out, he’s just like their own baby to the Panteleenkos.
Stepan, who is extremely cute and friendly, enjoys watching TV on the couch with his humans. They would occasionally assign him tasks such as watering the flowers or gardening.
“Stepan likes to cuddle up with us on the sofa at night while we watch TV,” Yuri explained. “He has so many talents and enjoys picnics.”
Stepan is also very conscientious about his diet. According to his adoptive parents, he consumes 55 pounds of food per day, with fish, forest fruits, and vegetables among his favorites.
More about his big happy family in the video below!