Russian Show Using Bear To Predict World Cup Results Sparks Outrage

Dan Walker/Twitter

There’s always someone using something weird to predict the outcome of the world cup – remember the mystical fortune telling octopus? This time a Russian show has been using a bear to predict the World Cup results, and people aren’t impressed.

A breakfast TV show in Russia has been predicting the outcome of every World Cup match, using a bear. The bear picks up a football, and drops it into one of two barrels depicting the two teams who will be going head to head in the World Cup matches. Whoever the bear chooses will supposedly win the match.

This morning (June 18), the bear dropped the ball into England’s barrel, supposedly predicting that England will be winners of their first 2018 World Cup match tonight against Tunisia.

BBC journalist Dan Walker shared a clip of the show, with the bear was dressed in a full football kit. Fans have been quick to show their anger at the clip and at Walker for sharing it, slamming the footage as animal cruelty.

Viewers of the video wrote:

That’s absolutely vile – what the hell were you thinking?

Absolutely disgusting Dan

Walker replied to the complaints, explaining that he too thought the video was wrong, and at first he believed the bear was actually someone in a bear costume. 

Truly grim Nicky. Apologies if my tone did not initially reflect that… at 1st was convinced it was a bear suit. Amazed they can get away with it.

Walker went on to ask people to stop being angry at him for the post, writing ‘please stop shouting at me about the bear. I think it’s vile… #SaveTheBear’

The Russian bear is known world-wide as a symbol for the country. Russia have used the bear in films and articles for the state, and has been used to signify the Russia we know today as well as the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union.

Russia haven’t only used a bear to predict the outcome of World Cup matches this year. They  also used a bear to deliver a ball to a football match between Mashuk-KMV and FC Angusht Nazran a couple of months ago.

While I think we can all agree that sporting mascots need to be replaced by something a little more exciting, this really takes the biscuit.

How the players and officials weren’t all shaking with fear I’ll never know – especially as the referee begins to tug the ball away from the animal’s claws, the beast glaring at the alien object in its hands with absolutely no clue whatsoever as to what’s going on.

The bear can also be seen throwing its hands up in the air seemingly trying to get the crowd going before kick-off.

Of course, this stunt wasn’t happily received by a lot of people either, as critiques came in on Twitter for the clip.

England will face Tunisia in their first World Cup match tonight at 7pm.

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Emily Brown

Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.