A Friendship Unlikely: The Man Who Walked with a Bear for Over 20 Years
In the early 1990s, in the city of Dushanbe, Tajikistan, something extraordinary began. A baby bear, orphaned and terrified, had been abandoned. No one claimed her, and she faced a grim fate — until fate intervened in an unexpected way.
A local man named Talabshoh Sheikhov learned of the bear cub’s plight. Instead of leaving her to survive on her own, he made a bold choice: he offered one of his goats in exchange for the tiny creature. That was the beginning. He brought the bear home and named her María, inspired by a character from a Mexican soap opera he liked. From that moment on, their lives intertwined.
Raising María: From bottle to companionship
Talabshoh treated María not as a wild animal, but as one of his own. He bottle-fed her daily, stayed by her side through the nights, and devoted himself to her growth. The bond grew quickly. María matured, but alongside her growing size came an evolving relationship: from dependent cub to companion.
As María grew, she didn’t lose her gentle nature. She came to trust Talabshoh completely. The people of Dushanbe began seeing a most unusual sight: a man and a bear strolling through parks, waiting at bus stops, even boarding public buses together. They became an exotic yet familiar fixture of city life.
Public fascination and shared moments
It wasn’t just about walking side by side. María learned charming tricks. She would entertain children with small acrobatics. She eventually learned to carry Talabshoh on her back, a surreal but mesmerizing display of trust and strength. Passersby would stop to stare, take photos, and sometimes offer treats.
Locals often say that when the pair passed by, everything else paused: conversations quieted, phones were raised, and people watched. This wasn’t just a spectacle of novelty — it became symbolic. The bear and her human friend represented something deeper: kindness, devotion, and breaking the boundaries of what’s “natural.”
Years of companionship
Over the decades, María and Talabshoh remained inseparable. Through seasons of cold winters and hot summers, through the public’s curiosity and occasional skepticism, they stayed together. Talabshoh’s home had room for many — he had 13 children — yet María became one of the dearest among them. She had her place, her routines, her quirks, her needs, and her loyalty.
People got used to seeing her as part of the community. She was not a wild danger, but a respectful well-behaved presence. Her relationship with Talabshoh softened hearts and changed perceptions about wild animals living among humans under extraordinary trust.
The end of an era — and a city’s remembrance
In 2013, Talabshoh passed away at the age of 80. For many, it was the end of an era. But remarkably, barely two months later, María died too. Some believe her passing was of a broken heart — a bear whose life made sense only with her faithful companion beside her.
To this day, the city of Dushanbe remembers them. Many locals have proposed erecting a statue to commemorate their bond — a lasting symbol of love that transcended species. Their story lives on, retold by generations who remember seeing them walk together, a man and his bear, extraordinary in every ordinary moment.