Joe Kahlo
Jim Kowalczik is a dedicated keeper at the Orphaned Wildlife Center (OWC) in Otisville, New York.
His days are full and tiring, between giving back rubs to Jimbo, a 1,500 pound Kodiak bear and playing with Jenny and Amy, two Syrian brown bears, he needs a nap every now and again.
And that’s exactly what he did!
He had the little sleep on a pile of hay, cuddling up with four rescued Syrian bears.
Jim has formed such a strong and unique bond with the bears over the course of the 10 years they have been at the center.
They were rescued from a breeding programme and cannot be released back into the wild so now live at the center permanently.
Jim and his wife Susan founded the center in the 1990s mainly as a rehabilitation program for bears who were orphaned.
See Jim playing in the snow with two rescued bears:
As soon as they heard about a family of Syrian bears who needed a home, they took them in.
More than 10 years on, the bears grew into happy and healthy adults at the OWC and have made a real friend with Jim.
