Say safari and one automatically thinks of Africa. Mention bears and one thinks of Canada. Now we should say Bear Safari and think a lot closer to home - think Finland.

We were just a few miles away inside the North Eastern Finnish border, just a whisker away from the shadow of the Russian bear. The sanctuary of the last house passed was about five miles away. There are no signposts marking precisely where we are. In a country with a small population (roughly 5 million) it is doubtful if our precise position would even have a name let alone show up on an ordnance survey map.

The deep imprint on the muddy track suggested the owner of this paw was seriously big. Putting my solid leather boot alongside it, the size ten immediately paled into insignificance. Our Finnish bilingual guide suggests the imprint is fresh. Heads immediately swivel to every compass point looking if the creator of the indentation is lurking in the undergrowth watching and reassessing his menu.

We learn “Bears are shy and will not normally attack”. Strangely we remain unconvinced by this and the nervousness remains when he adds, “not unless you get between the mother and the cub”. What would a retired legal secretary, a dog breeder and yours truly know about bear behaviour. Nothing! Rather than taking this advice completely at trust we step out just a little smartish as we headed to the hide and safety.

As bears prefer tend to be most active late afternoon onwards it was essential to be in the hide by four o’clock. The wooden rustic structure is pretty basic but we settled ourselves ready for the overnight stay. Home comforts appeared in welcoming flasks of tea and coffee, an array of sandwiches and cinnamon biscuits. Knowing there are 800 plus bears in the region there was a sense of anticipation for surely the odds were at least one must amble into sight.

I was reminded that the bear was the first toy animal I was introduced to. Small and cuddly, the teddy, this tactile comforter absorbed all sorts of poking, prodding, chewing and a general battering, all without complaint. But now as events started to unfold faster than any of us imagined I doubted that the owner of that throaty raven’s croak would be so docile.

The sound careered through the forest’s foliage startling other birds into joining the alarm. Leaning forwards, almost touching the hide’s narrow rectangular window panes wondering if this was a false hope or a dream realised. Over anxious hands tightened on cameras and binoculars. Was there really something moving in through the shadows of the conifers or were the afternoon shadows playing tricks?

Out of the leaf filtered sun rays came a young adult bear padding silently seeking entrance into the glade. His broad head gently moving from side to side as if seeking some tasty snacks. When some titbit was found he set himself to dine. In a slow precisely measured manner a giant front paw lifted a morsel to his mouth as he placed his giant rump solidly on a flat stone. Heavy jaw bones could be heard moving as he contentedly chewed away. Camera shutters fired away whilst the model remained impervious to anything other than satisfying a hunger.

Eventually he ups and leaves. All round there are infantile grins of delight for our very first sighting. Then a stage whisper, “bear”, accompanied by a slightly wild pointing as a mother and cub come into view.

Over the ensuing hours bears rumbled into and out of sight like heavy city traffic coming, stopping and going. It soon became obvious there is a definite social order, something the younger animals recognised. If a senior arrived, they yielded or slipped away behind some thick timbers. One beast in all senses stood head and shoulders above the rest. His height and bulk made him intimidating but it was not just his size that impressed. Once he may have been small and cuddly but the zipper scars created a face only a mother could love. These were obviously the markings of a battle hardened warrior. We could not imagine him being anything but the winner, if so, what did the loser look like? And if we were impressed so were all his fellow creatures for they all gave him a wide berth and a bit more.

When we went down to the woods that day we got a truly big surprise, for this was the day the bears really picnicked just a few feet away from our vantage point. Punctuating between the comings and goings were enough variety of birds to enthral a “twitcher”, black kites, ravens, spotted woodpeckers and a lot more. Imagine a theatre’s royal box minus the tiaras, black ties and other glorious trimmings. The number of guest are limited so one gets the feeling of being amidst a handful of honoured guests all sharing a unique performance with the forest clearing the stage and animals the players.

The furry thespians in their unscripted roles play a range of dramas. The onlooker will recognise the distinctive larger than life characters playwrights enjoy writing about. They are all there, the naïve, the devious, the temptress and the old warrior and far more exhilerating than any teddy bear I had played with in my youth.

Fact File:

Wildlife Worldwide
www.wildlifeworldwide.com

Nature Trek
www.naturetrek.co.uk/wildlife-holidays-in-europe

Need to Know

Capital city: Helsinki

Language: Finnish & English

Currency: Euro

Entry: No visa required for British nationals

Religion: Christianity

Further Information from www.finland-tourism.com

10 July 2008