In the week of St. Andrew’s Day (also known as Bears’ Day or Mechkinden), WWF is drawing attention to six orphaned bear cubs who have been given a second chance at life. 

The initiative is part of the "Subscribe to Nature" campaign and follows the story of six rescued bear cubs - Huba, Vihar, Goran, Nikola, Misho and Aneta - who are back in the wild. In a statement, WWF highlights that, over the course of three years, with the dedicated support of concerned partners, WWF experts have saved the cubs from certain death in a series of coordinated actions.

The organization notes that bears in Bulgaria are a protected species and are listed in the Red Data Book of the Republic of Bulgaria. They are endangered and hunting or killing them is a criminal offense. 

However, nearly 100 bears fall victim to poaching every year, which is why WWF’s efforts are focused on helping to protect them through various initiatives.