Teddy bear, Winnie the pooh, Care bears, Haribo gummy bears… we love friendly, fluffy and warm bears. In reality, bears are usually very shy and thus difficult to spot even in the deep forest of Dinaric Alps - home to a population of over 500 brown bears. There is a special tour in Slovenia that you can see these amazing creatures in the nature.
SLOVENIAN FOREST AND BEARS
More than 50% of Slovenia is covered with forest. Slovenia is taking an extra effort to protect the forest and animals living in the forest. There is an active project called ‘LIFE DINALP BEAR’(homepage http://dinalpbear.eu/en/) mainly funded by the European Commission. Among many animals living in the deep green forest, brown bears -the largest carnivore in Europe- are drawing interest of tourism. Observing bear in deep forest not behind bars in the zoo is a unique experience.
WILDLIFE TOURISM
In Slovenia, some of enthusiasts found an opportunity of wildlife tourism to increase the awareness about the importance of the forest and the animals. It may sound ironic but wildlife tourism can positively contribute to the nature. By taking the tour, participants will experience and be educated about the natural environment and how important it is to keep it as it is. The whole concept and philosophy of the tour is consistent with the goal of safely viewing bears in a natural setting while eliminating or minimizing impact on them.
TYPE OF BEAR WATCHING TOUR
Bear watching tour is carefully arranged by guideline and it’s possible to observe bears in a safe environment and with minimum disturbance to them. The tour is usually combination of below 2 activities.
1. Watching bears from a hide
Watching bears from a hide has the advantage that wildlife can be viewed without disturbing it, up-close, more comfortably and safer.
2. Bear trail
Bear trail is more focused of experiencing bear habitat and the presence of wild bears in their natural environment. This is done by walking along bear trails, looking for bear signs (i.e., footprints, scat, dens etc.), witnessing bear behaviour (i.e., marking and rubbing on trees) and understanding the impact of the species to its environment (i.e., on other animals, the forest and humans).
If you are looking for a unique experience in Slovenia, contact KOMPAS MEET team!
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