Watch Rescue Bear Cubs Play with Snowman after Being Used as Selfie Objects

Footage shared by an animal sanctuary in Ukraine shows rescued bear cubs playing with a snowman decorated with vegetables, after they were previously forced to take selfies with tourists.

Caretakers at the Bear Sanctuary in Domazyhr run by animal welfare organization Four Paws, made the snowman as an enrichment activity for the bears.

Hannah Baker, head of communications at Four Paws U.K., told Newsweek that caretakers put out fresh fruit and vegetables for the bears regularly, however they like to make it a bit of challenge and "something different" for them every now and then.

The video shows caretakers assembling the snowman amid heavy snowfall, placing fruits and vegetables on top for the bears.

The bears then head over to investigate the snowman, and it isn't long before they playfully destroy it.

Baker said the four bears, named Andor, Toby, Jenny and Moris, have been settling in well at the sanctuary since being rescued.

Andor was rescued by the sanctuary in June 2021 after being found in a barren concrete enclosure at a hotel and restaurant in Skole, Ukraine.

Jenny, Toby and Moris came to the sanctuary together in July 2021, after they were found in a contact zoo near Kyiv. The three bears were forced to be selfie objects and were constantly petted by zoo visitors.

Baker said: "They are all quite young and despite not being at Bear Sanctuary Domazyhr for a year yet, we're already seeing their characters shine through. Jenny is already asserting herself as the boss and all have adjusted well to the new environment."

"Unfortunately, because of their starts to live it will not be possible for them to be released back into the wild. Instead, we will offer them a life-long species appropriate home in the sanctuary in the Ukraine.

"None of these bears had ever experienced what it was like to be a bear until Four Paws rescued them last year, now their lives look very different and are far away from being used for human's entertainment."

The fours bears are the only ones at the sanctuary not hibernating, as they usually would be this time of year. Baker said that bears don't typically hibernate within the same year of their arrival at the sanctuary, and usually need one to two years to adjust to the new environment.

She said: "For bear cubs though this can be a bit more challenging as they actually don't know how to hibernate as they are too young, but they eventually learn or the natural instinct comes back and they manage to hibernate too."