The most ordinary walk of Vitaly Nikolaev and his dog Irbis almost ended in a terrible tragedy. This story happened near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in early autumn," MIR 24 journalists told.
"My husband was walking the dog near the house as usual. Suddenly, four bears came out of the forest belt. The husband and Irbis tried to retreat slowly, but they could not avoid the attack. The animals rushed at the husband and the dog, but at that moment the Irbis distracted the predators. He rushed to the side and took the bear away from my husband, giving him the opportunity to run to the neighbors," says the wife of the rescued Vitaly Tatyana Nikolaevna.
Thanks to the reaction and determination of the brave dog, the predators were forced to retreat. According to Tatiana, her husband immediately called her, and together they went in search of Irbis by car to protect themselves from a direct attack by bears. The dog was not found. But after a while, a miracle happened.
"When we arrived at the house, we saw that the bear was calmly walking nearby, and passers-by were filming him on video. Irbis could not escape from the predators. After an unequal fight with the bears, he miraculously survived. Bleeding, the dog was able to return home on his own. If it hadn't been Irbis, it's scary to imagine how it would have ended," the wife of the rescued Vitaly shared.
Locals say that something wrong is happening in Kamchatka this year, bears are walking freely everywhere, in the streets, feeling as if they are at home in the forest. They do not hibernate. Perhaps the lack of food and hunger are affecting.
Irbis is four years old, before the fight with an unequal opponent, he was an impressive and strong dog. Protecting his master, he suffered very badly, most of all to his head, neck, chest and ribs. After the incident, the man had a nervous breakdown, journalists write, and the condition of the brave Irbis was assessed as severe: he lost a lot of blood.
"Now my husband is fine, he feels well, he is proud of the devoted Irbis," Tatyana Nikolaeva continues, "and we are engaged in the restoration and rehabilitation of the Irbusha. The shunts and stitches have been removed, the ribs are fusing. Unfortunately, serious neurological problems remained, Irbis has a paralyzed right side of its muzzle. According to the doctors, the prognosis is favorable, but rehabilitation will take a very long time. We are doing everything possible to speed up the recovery. He runs, eats, and is active. He's a real good guy!"
Photos and videos from Tatyana Nikolaeva's personal archive.