They hold on to us! Bears are released into the wild … and turn on their rescuers immediately
- The chaotic scene was spotted yesterday during a nature conservation project in Kurdistan in northern Iraq
- Six Syrian brown bears are released into the wild after being rescued from captivity in people’s homes
- But when they took their first steps of freedom, the animals launched an unexpected attack on their rescuers
- Frightened spectators and journalists are seen fleeing for their lives while the animals resonate with the crowd
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Dramatic photos captured the moment when frightened spectators fled for their lives after a group of bears launched an unexpected attack on their rescuers while being released back into the wild in Iraq.
Six Syrian brown bears rescued from captivity in human homes were released during a wildlife conservation project in the Kurdistan region in northern Iraq on Monday.
But moments after the cages were opened, the angry bears addressed the crowd of spectators and journalists as the ceremony plunged into chaos.
It’s the dramatic moment that terrified spectators fled for their lives after a group of bears launched an unexpected attack on their rescuers while being released back into the wild on February 11, Thursday.
People and security members run away from a bear after Kurdish animal rights activists released it in the wild on Thursday
Six Syrian brown bears rescued from captivity in human homes were released during a wildlife conservation project in the Kurdistan region in northern Iraq on Monday.
A bear walks on a snowy ground after leaving the cage. The release of six bears in the Gara Mountains in the Duhok district of the Kurdistan region of Iraq, as part of an initiative of the American Kurdish Cooperation Organization to protect local wild bears
The six bears were released to their new homes in the Garage Mountains after being rescued from exile by activists.
The animals were kept in steel cages, surrounded by a large crowd of reporters, spectators and armed officers.
But when the bears took their first steps to freedom, they decided to turn on their rescuers while charging the people.
One of the bears released into the wild by Kurdish animal rights activists after rescuing the bears from captivity
A bear walks on snowy ground after leaving the cage amid a gathering of people. The six Syrian brown bears have been released into their new homes in the Gara mountains after being rescued from captivity by activists.
A bear is seen in a cage before being released to take its liberty in the wild, part of an initiative of the American Kurdish Cooperative Organization to protect wild bears from extinction.
Dramatic photos captured the chaotic scene as photographers and spectators ran to escape from the animals. It remains unclear if anyone was injured in the incident.
According to the head of the organization, Blend Prevkani, the rescued bears were brought from different areas in southern Iraq.
“Some of them were bought while the others were given to us by their owners,” the rescuer told the Shafaq News agency.
A Syrian brown bear is seen in a cage before being released on Thursday to take his freedom in the wild in Kurdistan, Iraq.
A rescued bear is seen in a cage before Kurdish animal rights activists released him into the wild in Dohuk, Iraq, on Thursday.
Two of the rescued bears are seen wandering in the snow after being released from exile in northern Iraq on February 11
Six Syrian brown bears have been released into the wild after being rescued from captivity in people’s homes. A bear walks past a group of cars after being rescued by local rescuers in the Kurdistan region of Iraq on Thursday.
This was the third release by the organization over the past few years.
According to Mr. Prevkani reporters were attacked by three bears in 2018 after being released into the same mountain range.
He said the bears had panicked through the area with a large group of people, including media people. Two journalists were injured during the event in 2018.