They are falling on us! The bears are released into the jungle … and immediately call their rescuers
- The chaotic scene was seen in a wildlife conservation project in northern Kurdistan in Iraq yesterday
- Six Syrian brown bears were released into the jungle after being saved from captivity in people’s homes
- But as they took their first steps towards freedom, the beasts launched an unexpected attack on their rescuers
- Terrified spectators and journalists are seen fleeing for their lives as the animals advance towards the crowd
Advertising
Dramatic images captured the moment when terrified spectators fled to save their lives after a group of bears launched an unexpected attack on their rescuers as they were returned to the jungle in Iraq.
Six Syrian brown bears that were saved from captivity in people’s homes were being released during a wildlife conservation project in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq yesterday.
But moments after the cages were opened, the furious bears advanced on the crowd of onlookers and journalists as the ceremony turned to chaos.
This is the dramatic moment that terrified bystanders fled for their lives after a group of bears launched an unexpected attack on their rescuers as they were released back into the jungle in Dohuk, Iraq, on February 11, Thursday
People and security officials fled a bear after Kurdish animal rights activists released it in the jungle on Thursday
Six Syrian brown bears that were saved from captivity in people’s homes were being released during a wildlife conservation project in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq yesterday
A bear walks on snowy terrain after leaving the cage. The release of six bears on Gara Mountain under the Duhok governorate in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, as part of an initiative by the American Kurdish Cooperation Organization to protect local wild bears
The six bears were being released to their new homes in the mountains of Gara after they were rescued from captivity by activists.
The animals were kept in steel cages, surrounded by a large crowd of reporters, spectators and armed police.
But when the bears took their first steps towards freedom, they decided to turn against their rescuers as they advanced towards the people.
One of the bears that were released by Kurdish animal rights activists in the jungle after rescuing them from captivity
A bear walks on snowy ground after leaving the cage in a crowd of people. The six Syrian brown bears were being released to their new homes in the mountains of Gara after being rescued from captivity by activists
A bear is seen inside a cage before being released to take its freedom in the wild, part of an initiative by the American Kurdish Cooperation Organization to protect wild bears from extinction
Dramatic images captured the chaotic scene as photographers and spectators ran to escape the beasts. It is not yet clear whether anyone was injured in the incident.
According to the head of the organization, Blend Prevkani, the rescued bears were brought in from different areas in southern Iraq.
“Some of them were bought, while others were given to us by their owners,” the rescuer told Shafaq News.
A Syrian brown bear is seen inside a cage before being released to take his freedom in the wild in Kurdistan, Iraq, on Thursday
A rescued bear is seen inside a cage before Kurdish animal rights activists released him in Dohuk, Iraq, on Thursday
Two of the rescued bears are seen roaming the snow after being released from captivity in northern Iraq on February 11
Six Syrian brown bears were released into the jungle after being saved from captivity in people’s homes. A bear passes a group of cars after being released by local rescuers in the Kurdistan region of Iraq on Thursday
This was the third launch made by the organization in recent years.
In 2018, reporters were attacked by three bears after being released into the same mountain range, according to Prevkani.
He said the bears panicked around the area with a large group of people, including media teams. Two journalists were injured on the occasion of 2018.