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Bear Hug! Brown Bear and Caretaker Cuddle on Grass

Sonya, a 15-year-old Syrian brown bear who lives at the Orphaned Wildlife Center in Otisville, New York, got to spend some quality time with an old friend when her former caretaker Johnathan paid her a visit

Sonya instantly remembered her former sanctuary caretaker when she heard his voice, said fellow staffer Kerry Clair.

“The moment she heard his voice, her head came up and she ran to the side of the fence. Then when he went in, she gave him a big bear hug and rubbed her head on him in affection,” Clair said.

Johnathan was one of Sonya’s caretakers when she was a cub, and they developed a special bond over the years, as seen in this video.

The orphaned bear, who cannot be released into the wild, is being provided with “lifetime care” at the 109-acre sanctuary, which has officially been up and running since 2015, with Clair working alongside Jim and Susan Kowalczik to help care for the animals so they can either be returned to the wild or cared for full-time, as with Sonya. Credit: Kerry Clair via Storyful