Latvian villagers make back-to-school 'bearable' for kids

0 Comments | AFP, September, 2006

RIGA (AFP) — Going back to school was made "bearable" for children in the village of Ramata in northern Latvia, when grown-ups let the youngsters cut class to watch a brown bear frolic near the town hall. "It was 8:30 am. We had just started working when we saw a bear in the street," said Vija Jaunalksne, secretary of the village council which is based in the town hall, in the center of Ramata.

"We called the school and got them to bring the children by bus to see the bear. The kids were delighted -- they didnt have to go the zoo in Riga to see a bear," said Jaunalksne from the tiny village, which lies 160 kilometers (100 miles) from the capital and just six kilometers (3.6 miles) from Estonia. Latvia's brown bear population dwindled steadily during the 20th century, with...