Animals in nature are truly spectacular things to witness. The wild is where they belong and where they thrive.

Unfortunately, that freedom is stolen from far too many wild animals.

That’s just what happened to these two bear cubs just outside of Moscow. They were likely bought illegally and kept as pets, and as if that wasn’t bad enough, they were then abandoned in the woods when they became too big for their owners to care for.

The authorities were alerted when local residents saw the bears still wearing the collars given to them by their previous owners. Found dehydrated and highly unprepared for life in the wild, the scene could have ended tragically had this team of officers not rescued them just in time.

While these bear cubs could be saved, there are still countless other animals lost to captive living every year.

If you would like to do your part to help end this heartbreaking practice, you can visit the Captive Animal Protection Society for more information.