Bosnia’s Unlikely Bear Companion: How One Man Rescued a Cub and Gained a Family

It was the spring of 2019 when Petar Tubic was hiking on Mount Ozren and heard a faint whimper from the underbrush. There, shivering on a bed of pine needles, was a bear cub no bigger than a house cat, its eyes wide and terrified.

Without thinking twice, Tubic scooped the trembling creature up, wrapped it in his jacket and headed back to his modest homestead near Doboj. He named her Masa, a nod to the gentle nature she would later display.

Back at home, the little bear weighed just 4.4 pounds. Tubic, an electrician by trade and an avid outdoorsman, fed her warm milk and fresh fruit, staying up late into the night to keep her safe. In those early weeks the cub clung to his side like a newborn child, and the bond that formed felt oddly familiar – like a parent‑child connection, but wilder.

Fast forward to today, Masa lumber‑walks across a fenced meadow that looks more like a small sanctuary than a backyard. She’s now a hefty 330‑pound bear, still eager to hop onto Tubic’s lap whenever she gets the chance, as if she’s never outgrown the need for a cuddle.

"The stuffed bear is the most popular toy in the world," Tubic jokes, "but having a real one that leans on you is a whole different level of responsibility." He admits that playtime often ends with a bruised shin or a ripped hoodie, but the smiles are worth every scrape.

Later that same year, another female bear – Ljubica – joined the household. The two bears now share the meadow, occasionally tussling play‑fully while Tubic watches, half‑amused and half‑worried.

What started as a rescue mission has turned Tubic’s property into a modest tourist draw. Visitors from nearby towns swing by to watch the bears, a pair of wolves, some deer, raccoons, and a handful of other rescued animals that have found a safe haven on Mount Ozren.

"People call them my pets, but honestly I feel like I’m the pet," Tubic says with a grin. "They’ve reshaped my life, and I’ve tried to give them a chance at a life they’d never had in the wild."

He lives there with his wife Milica and their nine‑year‑old daughter Eva. Between fixing wiring, paragliding, caving and hiking, the family’s favorite pastime is simply sitting beside Masa and Ljubica, watching the bears snuffle through the grass.

There have been talks of releasing the bears back into the mountains, but Tubic worries they’re too accustomed to human contact now. A sudden return to the wild could spell danger for the gentle giants.

For now, the bears remain a part of the family, teaching Tubic and his visitors about a side of nature that most people only see on a screen. "They opened a door for me to a world I hadn’t really noticed before," he reflects, "and I think we’ve been learning from each other."