A team of rescuers flew from Moscow to the Arctic port of Dikson, to help a polar bear cub in distress. The bear appeared to implore residents of the remote area for help. But when the locals could not help, a group from the Moscow Zoo answered the call flying 2,125 miles to assist. According to the Daily Mail, one resident said,

‘The bear got so exhausted with the can it was coming to us and sticking its tongue out,’ 

The female cub that has been given the name Monetochka, caught her tongue in a sharp-edged condensed milk tin can and was unable to eat or drink.

Experts say polar bears would not usually approach humans, but the desperate bear is pictured here attempting to get help from a resident.

The chief vet of Moscow Zoo, Mikhail Alshinetsky gave an update:

‘It’s a bear cub, female, about two years old.

‘The tin got stuck and its lid clamped down on the tongue.”

‘The animal spent a few days with a tongue stuck, and the tongue became swollen. The bear was unable to drink or eat.

‘We successfully sedated her, removed the tin, and gave antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications.’

The cub was successfully put in a cage and transported by helicopter about 50 miles from where she approached homes. The bear was left with a vast supply of fish to help her recover.

‘We transported the animal to the tundra and injected it again to wake her up,‘ said Moscow vet Alshinetsky.

Russian nickel and palladium mining and smelting company – Nornickel paid for the rescue and provided the helicopter transport.

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