Some people keep dogs at home, some cats and rodents, some like silent fish or hissing cockroaches, but all this is difficult to compare with the pet of Yuri and Svetlana Panteleenko. A real brown bear weighing more than 300 kg lives in their home. Twenty-year-old bear Stepan is only menacing in appearance, but in reality he is the kindest creature who has never offended anyone.
Little Stepan came to his new “parents” when he was still a very tiny three-month-old bear cub. It was sold at the market by hunters who claimed that the baby simply fell behind its mother and got lost. The Panteleenko family recalls that Stepan was then simply in a terrible state, all wounded and scared.
Yuri and Svetlana are not just compassionate passers-by who took pity on the bear cub, they both work as trainers, and therefore know how to treat animals. Only thanks to long and patient care for the baby, it was possible to melt his heart, help Stepushka, as he is sometimes called now, to recover and learn many circus tricks.
The fact that Stepan is not aggressive (in his entire life he has never bitten or attacked anyone), but, on the contrary, is friendly and very careful in communicating with people is an exception to the rule. It is very difficult to tame a bear, and most often these animals are simply not able to get along with people, at least not as a pet. That is why Stepan is now in great demand both for photo shoots and for various filming of films, programs and TV series. Moreover, Stepan regularly attends New Year's parties - children, of course, can be scared to see such a huge beast next to them (the bear's height is 2 meters 20 cm), but Stepan manages to charm the kids.
From the steam side Svetlana and Yuri Panteleenko They look like an ordinary Russian family, except for one fact - a huge bear weighing more than 300 kg lives with them. The couple adopted into the family bear Styopa, when he was only 3 months old, and since then he has lived with them and even sometimes helps with the housework.
It is difficult to find a more stereotypical Russian family in Russia than Svetlana and Yuri Panteleenko, because they live in a log house surrounded by birch trees and drink tea with a real bear.
Now Styopa is already 20 years old, he weighs over 300 kg ( according to information from the personal website. At the same time, many media reports indicate a different weight and height), and when it stands on its hind legs, its height is 220 cm. The bear is so domesticated that in the evenings it snuggles up to them while sitting on the sofa while watching TV. The family claims that Styopa helps them with the housework, well, at least he knows how to water the beds in the summer.
But a big bear also means a lot of responsibility... in the sense of hunger. Every day Styopa eats 25 kg of fish, eggs, and vegetables. And of course, there’s no way without dessert. Styopa loves to eat condensed milk in cans.
If you want, you can even play ball with him. It costs Yuri nothing to throw Styopa to the ground and, scratching his belly, begin to fight him, without being afraid that the animal will bite off his head. A faithful friend who will protect your home better than any security system.
The main thing is that the robbers take the inscription “Beware of the angry bear” seriously, otherwise their stupid smile will be wiped off their faces in the blink of an eye if they decide to break into the house.
Stepan the bear has his own website. It says “Having become his second parents, Yura and Sveta, they raised Stepushka, making him a real circus performer and movie star. Stepushka is an exception to the rule. There are no such bears in nature. He is smart, kind and fabulously handsome. You can visit him come up and not only pet him, but also sit on his massive back and hold his powerful paw."
Mishka Stepan is also known for his film roles: he starred in the films “Tsar”, “The Edge”, “Voronin” and many others. His biography includes about a dozen works. In addition, the bear has regularly taken part in New Year's parties for almost two decades. At the moment, the bear Styopa has finished filming in the TV movie “Yolki - 4”, playing a cameo role there.
Last year, a photo shoot with Stepan the bear, mother and little daughter caused a real shock on foreign websites. Photographer Olga Barantseva captured the trembling moments. Mom and daughter on a picnic: here they are hugging the animal as if it were an ordinary pet.
A girl sits astride a bear. The predator receives treats, and, apparently, he is satisfied. But many foreign readers were outraged, saying how could one risk the life of a child by allowing him to be close to such a huge beast?
Olga Barantseva did not expect that her work would become famous throughout the world. He says that “there are a lot of such filming with animals.” Moreover, Stepan repeatedly posed for other photographers.
“Styopa is a great actor, he really is tame. How can you be afraid of him if he’s so cute,” admit the models who participated in Olga’s photo projects.
Based on media materials
Yuri and Svetlana Panteleenko are a unique family from Russia who adopted a bear as a pet. 26-year-old Stepan is a tame bear who has lived in the Panteleenko family for more than 20 years. He acts in films and participates in photo shoots, and on the social network Instagram more than 150 thousand people follow his life.
Life of a bear in the Panteleenko family
The bear appeared in the Panteleenko family when he was three months old. The hunters who sold him at the market claimed that he had fallen behind his mother and got lost. The bear cub was scared, but Yuri and Svetlana, who are professional trainers, took care of the animal’s well-being.
Now Stepan is 26 years old. He is a very kind and obedient bear who has never attacked a person in his life. He is very friendly with people, so they are not afraid to approach Stepan and pet him affectionately. The photo shows how the bear has grown over 26 years.
Yuri and Svetlana taught Stepan to perform circus tricks. The tame animal is now not as active as in childhood, but it still loves to play with its owners in the house and in the fresh air.
The pictures shared on social networks by Yuri and Svetlana show Stepan drinking tea with them, playing on the lawn near the house and even sitting on the sofa in front of the TV. Such a pastime may seem strange to some, but Stepan is not an ordinary pet, but a full member of the Panteleenko family.
Stepan's photo sessions
A bear is very difficult to tame and raise, so Stepan is in great demand. He often appears in photo shoots and plays in films. He even has a photo with the famous actor Steven Seagal, and fans of the television series “Voronin” remember the episode in which Stepan scared the Voronin family when he unexpectedly came out of the forest.
Stepan is often invited to participate in photo shoots. In the photographs he looks like a kind bear that appeared from a fairy tale.
The bear poses in the photo like a true professional.
Incredible facts
Trainers Svetlana and Yuri Panteleenko seem like an ordinary family until they introduce their 23-year-old adopted son - brown bear Stepan.
They are used to doing everything together, from playing in the yard to watching TV on the couch.
Stepan was only 3 months old when the Panteleenko family took him into their family. The bear was found in a terrible state by hunters after he lost his mother.
Since then, the clubfoot and the Panteleenko family have lived together for 23 years.
Russian bear Stepan
Since Stepan was domesticated from a young age, he has a very gentle temperament. At any opportunity he loves to hug his parents, and in the evenings he likes to snuggle up with them on the sofa.
"He loves people and is very sociable– despite what people may think, he is not aggressive at all. Stepan never bit us,” said Svetlana.
The only thing Svetlana and Yuri can complain about is Stepan's good appetite. Stepan's height is 2.20 meters and weight is 136 kg.
He eats 25 kg of fish per day, as well as plenty of eggs and vegetables, but his favorite treat is a can of condensed milk. Stepan was never given raw meat, perhaps so as not to awaken his predatory instinct.
Bear Stepan and his family
Yuri and Svetlana taught Stepan a number of tricks, and they already performed in various performances, mainly for children. The bear also participated in several professional photo shoots with female models and children, and they all noted his good nature.
Stepan could be seen in several Russian films, including “The Edge” by Alexei Uchitel and “Tsar” by Pavel Lungin.
Yuri Panteleenko himself said that Stepan is one of the few animals completely devoid of aggression.
He always has a happy and playful mood and has never exhibited aggressive behavior.
Photos from open sources
The Russian Panteleenko couple, who live with an adult brown bear, have become a real Internet sensation. The unusual pet of Yuri and Svetlana amazed users of the World Wide Web from all over the planet. Thus, foreigners have found yet another confirmation of the widespread stereotype that we adore bears, and clubfooted ones, in turn, are very fond of their kindred Russian people. (website)
The animal was only three months old when it found itself in the house of the Panteleenko family. The weakened cub was discovered in the forest by hunters who believed that the cub’s mother had died. Yuri and Svetlana took the bear home and left it, calling it Styopa. This happened back in 1993, now Stepa, as is easy to calculate, is already twenty-three years old. He still lives with the people who saved him, with no plans to go free.
In one meal, a huge bear eats up to twenty-five kilograms of vegetables, eggs and fish. But his favorite treat is condensed milk. Styopa loves to sit on the sofa, watch TV, play with Yuri and Svetlana, and walk in the garden. The Panteleenkos consider the bear a full-fledged member of their family, and the clubfoot treats them like parents. Styopa knows how and loves to help people - for example, he happily digs and waters the garden.
The bear became a member of the family
The Panteleenkos are professional trainers, so they have almost no problems with such an unusual roommate. Yuri and Svetlana managed to raise an animal completely devoid of any aggressiveness. In his entire life, Styopa had never bitten anyone, even slightly. According to trainers, the secret of such education lies in a respectful and trusting attitude towards the animal, as well as constant encouragement of its merits.
Photos from open sources
In captivity, as a rule, they live for about half a century, or even more, so Styopa, figuratively speaking, still has his whole life ahead of him. The two-meter bear is very playful and cheerful. He knows how to catch a ball, loves to jokingly wrestle with Yuri and loves being brushed. The tame clubfoot prefers to dine right at the table with its owners. Fortunately, there are no children in the house.
On the famous video hosting YouTube, videos with Stepan collect millions of views. “Nothing surprising, an ordinary Russian family,” writes one of the English-speaking commentators. “I wonder who makes the furniture for them?” - asks another. However, many foreigners seriously expressed concern about the safety of the Russian family. “This is still a wild animal, and keeping it like this in an ordinary home is clearly dangerous,” says one user. The Panteleenko couple just chuckle at such comments, they say, we are Russians, what will a bear do to us?..
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