Unusual Pensioner in Russia’s Omsk

After many years of honest and diligent work in a circus in the Russian city of Omsk, a bear from the circus troupe was given a personal pension and an individual cage.

Bear named Portos already doesn’t participate in circus performances. Its age is 27 years, which is about 84 years of human age; the bear is a honorary pensioner of the Omsk circus. A strict schedule of everyday training is not for the bear any longer, it is just an observer of limbering-up of younger bears. The individual cage is some kind of a winter den for Portos. After many years of his circus career, now the bear has to get accustomed to the natural cycle of bear life. In winter it awakes only when a very close man, its trainer approaches the cage.

Animal trainer Grant Ibragimov has been working with bears in the circus for about 30 years already. He confesses that Portos is his best “pupil”. The trainer and the bear, together in one circus performance toured practically about the whole of the world. Portos performed such skillful tricks that other bears can hardly repeat. It jumped higher than other bears, wonderfully danced boogie-woogie that always won a storm of applause for the bear and its trainer.

Two years ago it became clear that Portos wouldn’t be able to appear on the circus ring any longer. It was time for his well-earned rest. In such cases, bears are usually sent to live the rest of their days in zoos. However, an exception was made for artist Portos. Direction of the Omsk circus sent a special appeal to the Russian Circus Committee asking to allow the bear to stay in the circus in Omsk and requesting for a special bear pension to feed the animal. It is was rather frequent case that the request was carried out in Moscow. Now the bear has a government pension.

First TV channel

Translated by Maria Gousseva

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