The brown bear (Ursus arctos in Latin) is today’s biggest European animal under the protection of many international conventions and the European territory is populated by approximately 50,000 bears of which about a thousand are in Slovenia. Bears in the territory of Slovenia have been constantly and quickly growing. If you decide to experience bear watching, you will actually see some of them. The areas where you will most likely see bears in Slovenia are the high Karst, Notranjska region, and wild forests of Kočevje. Slovenia is famous for its forests since almost one-third of the country is covered by woods. As a consequence, the country is highly populated with wild animals. If you happen to visit Slovenia, you will get the opportunity to enjoy a combination of nature, landscape, and wildlife and an exclusive opportunity to experience bear watching. This is one of the most wonderful adventures for all animal lovers to learn about the bear’s natural habitat and life in the untouched Slovenian forests far away from mass tourism locations. You will be guided by a wildlife expert to the smell-isolated wooden hut deep in the woods. And there you will meet Slovenia’s native brown bear.
Did you know that in the wild, bears will very rarely approach humans? When they smell a human, they turn away and move in the other direction. That’s why it is so difficult to actually see and meet the bear. A chance to see and observe it is the observance smell-proof lockout which allows bears to come closer to humans. If you are skeptical and worried: bear watching a guided tour is a perfectly safe experience! Besides that, the bear will not be the only animal you will have a chance to observe through wide windows. You might also see wild foxes, martens, deer, wolves, badgers, skunks and other Slovenian wild animals.
And don’t worry, taking photos is allowed. Your Instagram will burst with amazing wildlife images! While participating in the Bear Watching you learn all about these impressive creatures and the unique woods where they live, you will also be contributing to a good cause, as some of your fees go directly to the preservation of local wildlife.
