The brick grotto where Moscow zoo's bears live was yesterday finally devoid of snuffling. After weeks of insomnia caused by the record mild winter in Russia, the six bears that live in the craggy enclosure have at last nodded off. Russia's famous winters may have scuttled the invasion plans of both Napoleon Bonaparte and Hitler but this year the winter has spectacularly failed to materialise in Moscow.
Meteorologists said that yesterday was the warmest January day in Moscow since 1957, at 5.3C.

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