A Turkish rescue center in Hakkari, a nearby province on the Turkish-Iraqi frontier, discovered an adorable bear infant lost in the wilderness without his mother.
The newborn bear, whose name is Hakvan, is depicted drinking milk from a bottle following his rescue. Images depict him being nurtured back to health after his solitary journey.
After being separated from its mother in Hakkari, Turkish rescue personnel transported the bear infant to Van for medical treatment, feeding and monitoring Hakvan every three hours.
The superintendent of the center, Professor Lokman Aslan, told reporters that the facility treats dozens of injured animals each year, but bears are rarely spotted in eastern Turkey.
“(Hakvan) is in good health now. He was fed and returned to the location where he lost his mother, but he was unable to find her,’ he told The Frontier Post. Thus, we brought him here. This environment is ideal for him because it resembles his natural habitat.
However, more bears have been observed nearby in recent months. Aslan stated that they recently treated two injured adult bears.
Baby bear ‘Hakvan’ is shown on April 20 being fed from a milk bottle by an officer at a rehabilitation center in Van, Turkey.
The infant bear, which was separated from its mother in Hakkari and brought to Van for treatment, is fed every three hours and is under constant veterinary supervision.
The bear is still consuming milk. The cub was discovered in Hakkari, a neighboring province on the Turkish-Iraqi frontier. Bear sightings are uncommon in that region.
Professor Lokman Aslan, the center’s director, told reporters that the facility treats dozens of injured animals each year, but bear sightings are rare.
However, more bears have been observed in the region recently. Aslan stated that they recently treated two injured adult bears.
Hakvan the bear cub: The name Hakvan is a combination of Hakkari and ‘hayvan,’ combining the Turkish word for animal with the location where the infant bear was discovered.
The rescue personnel desired to remove Hakvan from the wilderness because it was uncertain whether he would be able to survive without his mother.
“(Hakvan) is in good health now. He was nourished and returned to the location where he lost his mother, but he was unable to find her,’ said Aslan. Thus, we brought him here. This environment is ideal for him, as it resembles his natural habitat.
Aslan stated, “We will apply a special rehabilitation process to him, but he will be a long-term guest here.” It is unclear when the rescue facility will endeavor to release Harkvan back into the outdoors.
When animals have been in human company for too long, it can be difficult for authorities to rehabilitate them back into the environment. Although bears do not reside in extended family groups or participate in hunts, they can coexist in close proximity to one another.
Rehabilitating bears can be especially difficult if they have been isolated from other bears for an extended period of time. Bears are social, hierarchical animals with structured kinship relationships. Bears can distinguish between hazardous and nonthreatening human behavior on a regular basis.
Cubs and elder bears engage in social play and have ritualistic mechanisms to assess the friendliness of newcomers, but these behaviors are learned through interaction with the mother bear or other bears.
