There’s no denying that the brown bear deserves to be the national animal of Russia. With an average weight of almost 450 pounds, incredible strength, and resilience, these ferocious hunters represent the Slavic nation and their character rather well. Though they usually roam the vast forests of Russia, one of these animals has found its life to be quite different. Meet Stepan, a domesticated pet bear who lives with Svetlana and Yuriy Panteleenko in Moscow, Russia. The Panteleenkos adopted Stepan when he was just a 3-month-old orphaned cub. He was found by hunters in a forest all alone, and in a terrible condition, so the couple decided to give the cub a home. Now, some 23 years later, Stepan has grown into a loving bear who helps around the house by watering plants. The Panteleenkos say Stepan has never been aggressive and has never bitten them. He does have quite the appetite, polishing off a whopping 55 pounds of fish, vegetables and eggs each day. To keep his weight under control, Stepan works off all that food by playing ball with the Panteleenkos. He’s also a working bear, acting in films and posing for photo shoots. The couple says one of Stepan’s favorite things to do is watch television with them. It’s pretty easy to figure out who controls the remote.
