Physical education teacher Valtteri Mulkahainen lives in Sotkamo, Finland, and spends much of his free time on photography. For the past 6 years, Valtteri has been taking photos of the fauna of his country and has captured many magical moments. And this story is about one of them.
On June 3, 2013, Valtteri planned to explore the Finnish taiga near the town of Martinselkonen. While exploring the area, she saw a bear entering a clearing, with several cubs.
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“The cubs behaved like children. They played and fought amicably. It felt like looking at a playground with children playing, that reminded me. At one point, the 3 of them got up and started pushing each other. It seemed that they were dancing in a circle. ”
Valtteri was in a shelter 50 meters from the bears and had perfect views. I spent all afternoon and night photographing the cubs and the bear.
You can meet bears almost anywhere in Finland except the Åland Islands. Almost all live in the eastern part of the country and in Lapland, but it is not uncommon to see them in southern and western areas.
As bear cubs demonstrate, bears are agile and strong. They use their front legs effectively to hunt and move. They swim and climb well. They do everything!
However, the fact that Valtteri managed to get such clear shots of the family is really fascinating. Bear will typically try to avoid humans as best as they can. Humans rarely see them in the wild since these animals almost always retreat immediately after detecting our presence. Keen senses and the ability to move silently make them perfect at this game of hiding and seek.
According to the latest assessments by the Finnish Natural Resources Institute, there were between 2020 and 2130 bears before the 2019 hunting season.
However, the fact that Valtteri managed to take such good family photos is fascinating. Bears often try to avoid humans as much as possible. It is rare to see them because they leave as soon as they detect human presence, and thanks to their sharp senses, that is immediate. They also move silently.
According to the latest statements from the Finnish Institute of Natural Resources, there were between 2020 and 2130 bears before the 2019 hunting season.
