Bears

Monday 24^th – Tuesday 25^th June 2019 (Day 131  and 132)

Reluctantly leaving the stunning Croatian coast, we headed inwards towards the mountains to head to the Kuturevo bear sanctuary.  We had read about it in The Guardian and we all like bears but I was worried it might be badly run or a zoo-like.  After a brief continuing search for the ever-elusive 25 kuna coin at several financial establishments along the way in run down housing estates and a few post offices we admit defeat and commit to the journey ahead, Ann Frank on the audio.  The road became reminiscent of the French countryside.  Very narrow lanes twisting up and down the hills with sleepy villages in between and very green.  We had read about a friendly restaurant owner who doesn’t mind vans parking up in his back garden so this was our first stop.  But no-one was at home.  There were doors open, cars parked but no sign of life so we moved on to the sanctuary. 

Passing us in a ramshackle red car was the grey haired, mad professor looking Ivan who founded the place, a social philosopher who had grown up in the village, then moved to Germany to study and teach, and then returned to look after abandonded bears.  Like many of these characters we have met on our travels, he was passionate about his project and life.  When we walked into the reception hut, he grabbed my hand and didn’t let go.  I went with it but was hoping I’d get it back soon. I later learned from Molly one of the volunteers that he did this with everyone as ‘it breaks down the energy barriers’.  We learned also that he also has a twinkle  in his eye and has had 11 children with a few different wives.  But whatever he got up to in his family life, he has set up an amazing organisation here.  Although a little chaotic looking and old fashioned, his love of bears and of his community has made this a big success.  He brings together an interesting mixture of international volunteers (a very similar feel to our Cambodian school build experience).  No visitors pay, but can donate or buy locally made produce or crafts from their shop.  We bought some sheep’s cheese which Molly said was ‘so delicious I eat one every night’, that we bought the whole stock for presents for home.  (unfortunately later our excitement about tasting was stopped short on first bite as it was so mild it was inedible).  I also bought some knitted slippers and honey.  All this goes to help the community so the village has also become about the bears.  It is a win win win set up - for the locals, for the volunteers and for the bears.

The phone rings when we are in the hut and there is bad news.  The restaurant owner’s 27 year old daughter has drowned on a day trip to the sea with him.  This is why the restaurant looked open but was closed.  Everyone knew her and so this is a very sad day for the whole community.  We feel the dark shadow too and  a bit helpless and in the way.  But life with the bears has to go on so the plan is the following day for many of the locals to come and help build the new bear enclosure.  I felt watching them that this was a kind of therapy .

We visited the bears the first night which was special as the tourists had gone.  We sat and watched these extraordinary creatures play with each other in the evening cool.  The site provides trees, pools and caves for the bears to live as close to a life in the wild as they’ll ever know and purpose for legions of young people that come here looking to make a difference in the world.  We witnessed the co-existence of volunteers, bears, villagers and tourists as essential parts in this inspiring little example of what can happen when a good thing grows.   And I felt it too as I walked around the village, as if I had been there for more than a few hours and as we settled in to our beautiful wild camp spot in a field above the sanctuary.    If we weren’t on a schedule to get home I would have liked to have stayed and helped with the new enclosure.  Maybe this was the magic of Ivan’s handshake.

(Ellie from Nayland - came for 2 months and is staying for another 2.) 

So reluctantly again we leave Kuterevo for the next country.  Anne Frank audio book finishes and Jonathan Livingstone Seagull starts.  Four hours later we are  at our next destination – the much anticipated lakes and mountains of Slovenia.