Shame of Euro 2012 hosts Ukraine as footage shows baby bear being tortured to entertain tourists in front of its frantic mother

By LEON WATSON

These heartbreaking pictures from Lutsk zoo in Ukraine show a bear cub is torn away from his mother and shoved screaming into a tiny box which is then nailed shut have been released to start a campaign to have the two reunited

Torn away from his mother, and then shoved screaming into a tiny box which is nailed shut - this is what happened to a bear so it could please tourists in Ukraine.
This heartbreaking footage was released by an Austrian animal charity trying to get the two bears reunited.
The baby bear Nastasia is seen screaming in terror as she is taken away by a photographer who has been using her to make pictures of tourists in the country co-hosting Euro 2012.
The campaigners from Vier Pfoten (Four paws) released the video and want support to pressurise the zoo in Lutsk in Ukraine's northern Volyn region to reunite mother and four-month-old cub.
While the youngster is screaming, the mother bear is shown racing around the cage and throwing herself at the metal mesh in a bid to get back to her cub.

The bear is dragged out of its cage where it lived with her mother by the scruff of its neck

The cub is then pushed down into a wooden box still shrieking - and it is nailed shut with a wire cover.
Four Paws spokesperson for Ukraine Dr Amir Khalil said: 'The pictures were shot in May this year and they were the most shocking I have seen in my time covering this region.

Nastasia is seen screaming in terror as she is taken away by a photographer who has been using her to make pictures of tourists in Ukraine

Brutal: While the youngster is screaming, the mother bear is shown racing around the cage and throwing herself at the metal mesh in a bid to get back to her cub

The cub is then pushed down into a wooden box still shrieking - and it is nailed shut with a wire cover

'A baby bear in the wild usually spends two years with its mother. Taking it away so young would leave the tiny bear traumatised.
'In addition being used as a tourist attraction represents a lifetime in torment for the baby bear.
'The sale of baby bears to private individuals is supposed to be illegal in the Ukraine.'

source: dailymail