Zoo keeper who lost her leg in recent bear attack begs to pardon the predator

Vera Blishch, experienced zoo keeper and passionate animal activist was hit by vertigo as she was showing a new member of staff how to clean a bear’s cage. 

‘She kneeled down to show how to feed a bear, then quickly stood up and felt dizzy. To gain balance Vera leaned towards a cage for split second. This was enough for a bear to pull its paw through the cage’s bars and to strike ’, said a colleague from Ussuriysk Municipal Zoo who witnessed the tragic accident. 

Vera’s leg was clawed and bitten by a 20 years old female Himalayan bear called Manyunya (tender for Masha), resulting in multiple fractures.  

The zoo keeper was immediately rushed to the hospital, but doctors said they were unable to rescue her lower leg.

Manyunya the bear is 20 years old. Pictures: The Siberian Times

Minutes after she woke up from the amputation, Vera called for the bear to be spared punishment. Knowing that wild animals get destroyed after attacking humans, Vera said it was not Manyunya’s fault. 

‘I suddenly felt dizzy, I don’t remember how I ended up so close to the cage.

‘I've been working with predators for over 25 years, lots of things have happened over this time - but I can say with confidence that the animals was not to blame. Manyunya is not aggressive’, the zoo keeper said. 

No decision was made on the bear’s fate. Russian Investigative committee launched a probe into circumstances of the attack.

Vera Blishch, 56, begs not to punish the black bear that attacked her. Pictures: The Siberian Times

Vera was pictured and filmed kissing bears, warning that it was extremely dangerous.

'Bears are trained almost nowhere except for Russia,' she said. 'Even by  just kissing the bear now I might lose my head within a split second

'To work with a bear, you must have a special feeling.

We say it’s a feeling sent by God. You must feel a bear.'

VERA BLISHCH FILMED KISSING A BEAR