I grew up in the Siberian small town where the bears called "masters of taiga". Very often in my childhood I went to the taiga and could spend there a whole day. Ones I fell down in the empty bear's lair and saw there peaces of fur and tracks of bears. I was excited, but didn't got scared. I was little girl and got interested of world which surrounded me and the bears were part of my life. They were near to us, sometimes bears were walking on the streets of my town, I heard a lot of scary stories about our "master of taiga". I knew that if you don't touch it bear is very quiet and peaceful, but if you meet bear and try to shoot it or run away, bear can be very dangerous because this animal is a very fast, clever and smart. I was afraid of the bears and the same time wanted to meet it face to face, but a long time I saw bear in the zoo only.
Something changed 3 years ago when I came to the village which is surrounded by real wild places. Before I came there the native hunters had one problem. One bear got the habit to come to the apiary and steal honey. First time the hunters didn't want to kill it, but when bear destroyed half of apiary they decided to hunt it. I persuaded them to take me on the hunting.
On the next day I and two hunters built special floor on the tree which is next to apiary, dressed the special suites, picked up the riffles, hided on the tree and started to wait the bear. We set down there silently and were on the alert, because the bear walks absolutely noiseless and fast. So we were waiting for 3 or 4 hours.
There was deep night already. The full moon illuminated apiary. Surrounding us was silent dark forest, only a night bird shouted sometimes and away from us the forest stream was noisy. It was so great! I felt that I am a part of this wild world. All of my urban problems were far and only that place seemed a reality.
Suddenly under our tree a row was heard. It was a very powerful. Firstly, I became worry, but on the next second I was on the alert again and ready to shoot. But we couldn't do it, because bear was covered by leaves and didn't move to the open space. The most important hunter's rule is if you are not sure that you can kill to bear don't shoot, so nothing could be dangerous more than wounded bear. We were waiting for and bear were bowling and crashing something under us. It continued a few minutes, but it was like a few hours for me.
I felt myself strange. Two of my parts battled with each other. One part was a hunter, who wanted to kill the pray or another part was a like sister of that bear, which loves bears and wanted that it be alive.
Happily bear did right choice - it picked up beehive which we left under the tree and go away as well as it appeared. After that we were waiting that it could be back 2 hours more. We weren't sure that bear do away far. But we were so cold and we climbed down and were walking through the dark forest toward the village. It was dangerous because bear could be anywhere. We were on the alert and kept riffles in readiness. During our raid I thought that bear is the real very peaceful being. It likes honey, took it for its cubs and "master of taiga" is very caring and careful. But bear can be very dangerous if it need to protect itself. Bear didn't appear again on the our trail at that time but something changed inside me.
Now I am far from where Siberian bears live, but part of that bear and piece of that wild world are in me. My wild nature is sleeping most part of time, but I know that this bear's part will awake if I find myself in the wild world again.
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