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Heartbreaking video has shown an exhausted polar bear ‘close to death’ pleading with humans for help.
The images were taken at Dikson’s arctic outpost in Russia’s Krasnoyarsk region.
It’s rare for polar bears to venture near humans, so residents were initially wary when the wild animal passed their homes.
But it soon emerged that the creature was in great distress.
He had sought help from the humans after not getting a can out of his mouth.
The can appeared to be completely wedged over the polar bear’s tongue, with a sharp edge causing more pain.
Residents tried in vain to help the bear before they were forced to give up.
But they raised the alarm and a brave team of vets are now battling difficult weather conditions to try and reach the village.
Hungry polar bear had approached humans for help after getting its tongue stuck in a can
The bear can’t eat or drink because of the can, meaning it’s a race against time to save him.
Svetlana Akulova, director general of the Moscow zoo, said: “The plan is to sedate the bear, release it and move it further away from the settlement.
“We have prepared 50 kg of fish for the bear to help his recovery.”
Svetlana Radionova, head of the Federal Service for Monitoring Natural Resources, added: “A young polar bear with a can of condensed milk stuck in its mouth came to seek help from the people of the village of Dikson, in the northern region of Krasnoyarsk.
‘We have already found specialists, a team of veterinarians from Moscow, who will fly there to help the emaciated predator.
A team of veterinarians is on its way to save the emaciated polar bear’s life before it’s too late
“We will do everything we can to rescue the bear.”
Bad weather initially prevented vets from reaching Dikson after flying to Norilsk.
The bear’s health is clearly deteriorating rapidly, experts say, with its hind legs shaking from what they believe is thirst and hunger.
“The bear got so exhausted with the can that was coming to us that it stuck out its tongue,” said one resident.
More: Animals
“But it was impossible to help without traumatizing the bear, so people gave up.”
The bear probably found the can in a dumpster while looking for food.
Dikson, 676 inhabitants, is named after the Swedish explorer Baron Oscar Dickson.
It is the northernmost port in Russia and the northernmost settlement on the Asian continent
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