Newborn baby found in woods being 'eaten alive' by ants
Abandoning babies said to be a 'common occurrence' in Russia, even in the winter months

Police in Russia are searching for the parents of a newborn baby who was found being 'eaten alive' by ants after she was abandoned in woods.
The little girl was discovered on a pile of leaves in a wooded area on the outskirts of Chelyabinsk city by a man who heard her crying on his way to work.
Police said the badly bitten child, who is expected to make a full recovery, was unlikely to have survived much longer had the passer-by not found her and called an ambulance when he did.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Thought to be just three days old, the baby still had her umbilical cord attached, reports the Daily Mail.
"Incidents in which babies are simply abandoned in Russia, including during the frigid winter months, are a common occurrence," reports the Moscow Times.
In January, a stray cat was credited by Russian newspapers as having saved the life of a baby abandoned in the city of Obninsk. The animal allegedly climbed into the cardboard box in which the child had been left and meowed until someone found it. In the same month, another baby was left inside a handbag in an apartment building in the Siberian town of Cherepanovo.
"For other abandoned babies, there is no miraculous rescue, and no happy ending," says the Moscow Times. In February the corpse of a newborn was found in a plastic bag at the bottom of a pond in the capital.
According to Cradle of Hope, a non-government organisation in Russia, the country's Interior Ministry recorded 532 infanticides between 2010 and 2013. But the NGO thinks that the true number could stand at more than three times the official figure.
Cradle of Hope promotes "baby boxes", an "incubator-type enclosure" where parents can leave unwanted babies anonymously. It claims that 31 newborns have been saved because of the 21 boxes it has introduced in 11 Russian regions.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why Rikers Island will no longer be under New York City's control
The Explainer A 'remediation manager' has been appointed to run the infamous jail
-
California may pull health care from eligible undocumented migrants
IN THE SPOTLIGHT After pushing for universal health care for all Californians regardless of immigration status, Gov. Gavin Newsom's latest budget proposal backs away from a key campaign promise
-
Is Apple breaking up with Google?
Today's Big Question Google is the default search engine in the Safari browser. The emergence of artificial intelligence could change that.
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical