Ok, so pandas aren’t actually bears, but one did make this year’s list.
A lot happened in the animal world in 2010 and while everyone loves a good animal story, there were several that managed to rise above the rest as the top stories of the year.
Some stories involved never before seen heroic feats (from an octopus, no less!) while others involved bizarre acts of cruelty (which summoned the wrath of the internet).
No matter how horrific or awesome the tale, TIME’s top 10 animal stories of the year managed to fascinate people around the world.