The Bear Necessities

So this weekend I returned to Estonia (client) to immerse myself in the nature of the beautiful country and potentially get up close and personal with bears! 

Okay maybe face to face with a bear isn't the smartest idea I've come up with to date and I expect I'd pass out if I ever came across one. So what's my experience to date? Well the closest I've been to one is at a zoo which wasn't very close at all and my knowledge of how they act mainly comes from films and cartoons - the bear who lost his hair to John Candy in The Great Outdoors springs to mind.

Anyway, Estonia isn't all just about bears! There's plenty to see and do and with 50% of the country covered in forest you are likely to discover some form of wildlife whether its wolves, foxes, deer, elks, eagles or owls.

On this particular journey, we were trekking through the Soomaa National Park - a park well known for its fifth season. Yes we traditionally only have four seasons, but the fifth season is a natural event where the park floods after the snow and ice melts and Spring approaches. Normally you have to travel by canoe to get around the park however; snow was scarce in Estonia this year so you could easily walk through the trees and venture around the park. But you'll spot constant reminders that you should in fact be shoulder deep in water!

Aside from attempting to find signs of bears, our guide helped us to explore the park and open our minds to the local nature. Firstly we enjoyed a cup of tree. Yes, I drank the sap from a birch tree which had an oddly sweetish taste to it. Then we donned bog shoes to bounce our way off the beaten track in Kuresoo Bog before we finally got back to the mission in hand. 

We found signs of life including scratch marks on a tree, but sadly we didn't see any bears. Apparently speaking like David Attenborough won't seduce or tempt them out of hiding either. So we just jumped in our canoes and paddled downstream for lunch.

The Soomaa National Park is open all year round and if you are keen to see catch a glimpse of the nature on offer in Estonia check out these cool nature cameras here. You never know what you might see.

In case you do come across a bear whilst you are walking in the woods here are some tips from the Mother Nature Network should you ever need it:

1. Bears are shy of humans, unless they see you as a threat to their cubs. Make loads of noise to alert them to your presence

2. You might think running is the solution, but a bear can reach speeds of 30mph when chasing prey. Instead back away slowly and if it starts to follow stand your ground

3. If the bear charges hit the ground and adopt the foetal position and protect your neck

4. Playing dead is often the best solution. Even if it walks away remain still for at least 20mins as bears often linger in the area even if they think you are no longer a threat

5. As a last resort, fight back by aiming punches at the nose and eyes to get away from them. This is generally not advised and playing dead is the best option