Ukraine to save bears.. From Vodka!

[AkMike]

.....KIEV (Reuters Life!) - Ukraine's Environment Minister Mykola Zlochevsky vowed on Wednesday to free all bears kept in restaurants for entertainment purposes and often forced to drink alcohol, Interfax news agency reported on Wednesday.

Captured and tamed bears were often used for entertainment in the Russian Empire, which included Ukraine, turning the animal into a national symbol.

The practice appears to have also survived Ukraine's emergence from Soviet rule, but Zlochevsky said it was inhumane and unacceptable today.

"On television, they keep showing bears suffering in restaurants and roadside hotels," Interfax quoted him as saying. "How long can we tolerate animal torture in restaurants where drunken guests make bears drink vodka for laughs?"

Zlochevsky said his ministry was building a large enclosure in a wildlife sanctuary where it would place about 80 bears it planned to liberate.

(Writing by Olzhas Auyezov, editing by Paul Casciato)

Ukraine to save bears from forced vodka drinking - Yahoo!
...

[AkMike]

Now my question for all of you folks..

Has anyone ever heard of this practice being done today? My wife has never even heard of this! Bears in the circus yes but nothing like this!

[Gotno Gizmo]

AkMike, just because you are unaware of an existing situation, do you not believe it to be true? What would be the advantage of releasing a story like this in terms of propoganda value?
You have been a resolute critic of almost everything I have said over these forums, but I believe that as the finacial crisis unfolds in Europe and the USA, you will see that the global power does not rest with the politicians/ governments, and that much of what I have been saying will become apparent.
I'm sure that you are busy with your road construction at this time of year and I hope it is going well for you.

[AkMike]

I take it that your answer is no? Or was that a yes? Possibly a definate maybe?

So? Back to my origional question....


Has anyone ever seen a bear being fed vodka?

[Silkrem]

Hello from Poltava region!
We have many restaurants. We have many grades of vodka in shops.
However we can see bears only in zoos. I never saw a bear drinking vodka.

[AkMike]

Thanks Silkrem. I've never seen that just north of you in the Cherkassy oblast either. I suspect it's a small or non-existant problem.