Bear Cub Struggles Its Way On The Snow To Climb Back To Mama

Never, ever give up. This video is our lesson of the day. It is about so many things: the struggle for survival; hope; courage; nature's dispassionate cruelty. Momma bear shows baby bear how it's done. But she has size and experience on her side.Show more

We find our littlest hero on a cold Alpine peak, following his mother, who is seeking a more stable perch on the ridge. The snowy cover isn't very secure, however, and even mom dogs in with all fours.

Our courageous cub will do whatever it takes to make it to the top (and so should we). He suffers huge setbacks, but never gives up. Maybe this is the destiny of humankind, as well, that we were made to scratch and claw our way to the top, always looking up.

This a a cliff hanger in the truest sense of the phrase! Our hearts are literally in our mouths as we watch baby bear risk his life to join mom. Will he make it? We can't even say for sure. Even the lucky camera person has no idea what will happen next in this unscripted, raw footage. The incredible event took place in the wilderness of the Managan region of Russia.

What an incredible natural drama playing out, and it could go either way as the snow gives under the cub, sending him sliding downward, almost free fall, for what seems like dozens of yards and and a heart stopping several seconds. The poor cub gains solid ground, but what now? He can't stay here forever.

Another lesson: You have to make a move! He gains his strength and courage, and tractors upward. He senses that he should somehow gain traction in already broken paths.This works, but when he makes it within reach of his mother, she reaches out with her paw as if to latch on to her baby, and this is a misstep, however well intentioned. Baby bear goes tumbling down one more time, falling, falling, perhaps over a hundred feet, until he once again hit a rocky outcrop.

This is a serious setback, but the baby bear still summons the will to drive forth once more. Buried inside that tiny frame and thick fur, despite his immature skills and inexperience, the little hero has one essential quality that gives him a survival advantage: the will to live. There are no guarantees in nature, and what seem like guarantees in the human kingdom are but well crafted illusions.

At long last the determined cub ascends the precipice, and both bears rush to higher ground as a family unit. Mother bear pauses briefly, and turns to see of her child is still here. It's almost as if she can hardly believe it, but there he is. Even so, this is no time to celebrate. They must continue onward in haste.

We can only marvel in awe at the gift of such a sight, and the good sense to capture in on video. Such a gift does not come by every day.