Next, to one country's battle to protect its most treasured animal. The brown bear is the symbol of Russia, but it is now officially a "creature of strategic importance". That means there will be much bigger punishments for bear poaching. It's all part of the country's drive to ensure bears live long into the future. And as our reporter Dan Ashby found out, one Russian family is even raising bear cubs themselves. A warning, this report contains upsetting images.

From a playmate's punch to pawing your way to the top of the pile: The early moments of a bear's life are full of experiment and endeavour. And they will need every ounce of it. All these cubs are orphans. They would normally be dead. But one family is keeping them alive.

EKATERINA PAZHETNOVA ORPHAN BEAR RESCUE CENTER "They became orphaned. They would not survive without the help of humans. And just to leave them in their dens to die? We can not do it. Of course, it is my work. But now it is my life! Of course, I love them. I worry about them. They are for me like children."

In just six months, they will be returned to the wild. But it is not nature that threatens them.

DAN ASHBY BUBONITSY, RUSSIA "So I'm whispering because we're not allowed to talk in front of the bears as they don't want them to become familiar with human voices. The reason? To teach them that it is humans who they need to fear the most."

Bears are often shot dead in their dens - hunted for pleasure or poached for their parts. Russia even discovered some truckers mow them down for fun. It has prompted the Government to make bears an object of strategic importance. And that might deter illegal kills.

VLADIMIR KREVER BIODIVERSITY EXPERT, WWF "The main positive thing about putting the bear on the list of strategically important goods, is that now the punishment for illegal hunting and bear parts trafficking will be much stricter. We hope that this can help move the black-market economy into the regulated sector, where all taxes are paid and no laws are breached."

For now, bear numbers in Russia are stable but some regions are seeing rising deaths from poaching and habitats destroyed by logging.

The orphans show how threats are never far away. And as with so much of the world around us, it will be our actions which will decide how easy this species can sleep. Dan Ashby, CGTN, Bubonitsy.