Bears can be found in South America, North America, Europe, and Asia in eight different species. Some animals, particularly in locations where they have become accustomed to humans, can be dangerous to humans. Although all bears are physically formidable and capable of killing a person, they will generally try to avoid humans.
Although it is sometimes possible to see these majestic animals without a guide, a guided bear safari is usually the best way to ensure a safe and effective bear viewing experience in their natural habitat. A look at some top places in the world to go on a bear safari.
1: Katmai National Park
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Katmai National Park is a national park in southern Alaska that is roughly the size of Whale. This is one of the best places in the world to go on a brown bear safari. The park has about 2000 brown bears, according to the most current bear survey. Bears are particularly prone to assemble at Brooks Falls, where they come to eat salmon. Rangers at Katmai Park take extreme precautions to prevent bears from obtaining human food or engaging in human-bear conflict. As a result, the bears are unlike any other bears in that they are fearful of and uninterested in humans, allowing people to approach (and photograph) them up close.
2: Denali National Park
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Denali National Park is in Alaska and is home to Mount McKinley, North America’s tallest peak. Denali refers to Mount McKinley and means “high one” in the native Athabaskan language. A strong population of grizzly and black bears can be found in Denali. The bears’ major source of food is wild blueberries and soapberries, which flourish in this environment. Despite the high density of bears in Denali, rangers’ efforts to educate people on how to avoid harmful interactions have considerably reduced the amount of dangerous encounters.
3: Svalbard Polar Bear Safari
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Svalbard is an archipelago located halfway between Norway’s mainland and the North Pole. Polar bears are Svalbard’s defining symbol and one of the island’s most popular tourist attractions. A total of 3,000 polar bears live in Svalbard and Franz Joseph Land (a Russian archipelago in the east). The islands of Kong Karls Land have the most polar bears in Svalbard, however they are forbidden to visitors. Polar bears are significantly more deadly than European brown bears because they are unpredictable. Outside a settlement, everyone who is not protected is expected to carry a rifle as a last resort in the event of a Polar Bear assault. An organized bear safari is the greatest way to see the bears.
4: Kronotsky Nature Reserve
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Kronotsky Nature Reserve, on the shore of the Kamchatka Peninsula, is becoming increasingly popular for bear safari expeditions. Because of its mix of volcanoes and geysers, Kronotsky is known as the Land of Fire and Ice. The wildlife reserve is home to around 700 brown bears, including some of the world’s largest, which can weigh up to 540 kg (1,200 pounds). Bears in the Kronotsky Reserve frequently cross paths at salmon streams in the park, where they can freely mingle.
5: Wolong National Nature Reserve
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Wolong National Nature Reserve is located in central China and is a protected area. Many endangered species, such as red pandas, golden monkeys, and white-lipped deer, call the reserve home. The park’s most famous residents, however, are the 150 critically endangered giant pandas. Only about 1,500 Giant Pandas remain in the wild, making it an endangered bear species. The Wolong Panda Center is temporarily closed to the public due to the May 2008 earthquake. The majority of the pandas have been transported to Bifengxia, a sister center outside Ya’an City.
6: Knight Inlet
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Knight Inlet lies in the southern part of the Great Bear Rainforest, which starts about 125 miles north of Vancouver and includes some of British Columbia’s most popular Grizzly Bear safari spots. Knight Inlet is one of the few areas in North America where these generally solitary creatures congregate in big groups. Bear viewing is undertaken during the autumn salmon run from two safe viewing stands overlooking a spawning channel, and it is not uncommon to observe a half-dozen bears jostling for the best fishing sites.
7: Wrangel Island
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Wrangel Island is a rugged islet located far north of the arctic circle. Woolly mammoths lived here until 1700 BC, making it the most recent known mammoth colony. They were, however, significantly smaller than usual mammoths due to a scarcity of food. In the high Arctic, Wrangel Island boasts the highest amount of biodiversity. The island is home to the world’s largest population of Pacific walruses and the densest polar bear population.
8: Admiralty Island
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Admiralty Island, off the coast of the Alaska Panhandle, has the largest density of brown bears in North America. The island is home to about 1,600 brown bears, more than the lower 48 states combined, and nearly three times the human population of Admiralty. A protected wilderness area covers the majority of Admiralty Island. Black and brown bears, as well as other creatures like deer and eagles, thrive in the rainforest environment.