
Most families would be terrified if a giant brown bear turned up to disturb their camping trip.

But for one Russian family they were delighted to bring along bear Stepan to join them on their getaway.

And rather than tearing the place apart and thieving all of their food, he joins in with family games and even sits down to eat with them.

Stepan, a brown bear, is tame and is used in movies and TV shows as an animal actor.

Mother Svetlana said: 'Mother Svetlana said: "Of course we were scared at first - the bear is so huge! And we had no idea how our daughter, Mirra, would react.

'But everything went smoothly - Stepan is just like a very big, kind dog. I would say you feel safe and secure in his paws.

Even I, as an adult, felt like I was in a fairy tale. I can't imagine what it was like as a child. Mirra was delighted. She talks about it every day. All she talks about is Stepan.'

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A Russian family who decided to take their pet brown bear on holiday with them as they went on a camping getaway in the countryside

The bear, called Stepan, is a tame animal and crawls straight up to the family and nibbles food from their hands beside the tent

The bear even plays games such as hide and seek with the family's mother Svetlana and her four-year-old daughter Mirra

Mother Svetlana said: Of course we were scared at first the bear is so huge!' But she now says he is just like a big, friendly dog

Mirra and mother Svetlana prepare the family's food and even feed it to Stepan using a big bowl and spoon

Mirra gives her pet brown bear, which is tame and was adopted by the family, a cuddle as her father looks on