A captive brown bear at the Aidashki Guest House at Achinsk, Russia, reportedly ripped off and devoured and employee’s arm after she bragged to party-goers at a Christmas party today that she could feed the bear and reached her arm into its cage.
Guests were left horrified when the massive beast, that was kept shackled in the tiny cage for “entertainment” for visitors at the small hotel, grabbed the employee’s arm in its mouth and tore it off in a swift movement.
A local told the press that the bear attacked the 53-year-old employee “took its revenge on being held captive – and ate her arm for its festive meal.”
The victim is now in “grave” condition at the intensive care unit of a local hospital. She reportedly suffered massive blood loss and had to undergo emergency surgery in the hospital.
The horror attack distinctly highlights the foolishness of allowing private individuals to own wild animals and of keeping such wild beasts captive in spaces where they barely have enough room to move, let alone roam free or hibernate during the cold seasons.
According to the local press, the proprietor of the small hotel has defied an earlier police order to release the two bears he keeps into the wild. Police investigations are ongoing after today’s attack.
In response to fears that the captive bears will be killed following the attack today, State hunting inspector Vasily Vershkov assured that the bears will not be harmed and will be released into the wild:
“We will wait until spring and assist in the release of these bears. Nobody will kill them.”