The short life of Ponçik is full of tragedies but the bear cub clings to life anyway. She is a real survivor after all. The cub and her sister were found some 20 days ago by a farmer in a rural area of Pınarbaşı, a district of the northern province of Kastamonu known for its high bear population.

The cubs were apparently exhausted and separated from their mother who has not been located yet. Her sister died soon, unable to cope with separation from her mother while Ponçik survived after she was taken to a rehabilitation center for wildlife in Sinop, a neighboring province of Kastamonu.

Named Ponçik, after a colloquial word which means cute in Turkish, the cub who frolicked around in the forests, barely moves anymore. But her new carers believe she would recover in due time. She is administered a special diet at three-hour intervals to nurse her back to health. Vets at the center observe her around the clock. Orhan Çatalçam, director of the local branch of the Directorate of Nature Protection and National Parks that oversees the center, said they launched a search for mother bear but she appears to have disappeared.

"(Ponçik's) sister died as she was deprived of mother's milk for a long time when she was found. Ponçik is doing well and has no serious health problem," he told reporters on Tuesday. He said the cub would stay at the center for some more time. "She could barely open her eyes when she was brought here and now she can open them. She is placed at our unit for newborn animals," he said.