The continents of North America, South America, Europe, and Asia are home to eight different bear species. In locations where they have become accustomed to humans, certain species can pose a threat to humans. Bears can be lethal in an attack because of their size and strength, although they often stay away from people.
While it is possible to see these majestic animals on your own, a guided bear safari is your best bet for a safe and enjoyable encounter in the wild. A rundown of some of the world’s top spots to go on a bear safari.
1. Admiralty Island
Admiralty Island, just off the coast of the Alaska Panhandle, has the largest concentration of brown bears in all of North America. The island is home to an estimated 1,600 brown bears, which is more than the combined population of the lower 48 states and more than three times as many as the human population of Admiralty.
Wilderness preserves cover the majority of Admiralty Island. Wildlife including black bears, brown bears, eagles, and deer thrive in the dense greenery of the rainforest.
2. Wolong National Nature Reserve
Located in the middle of China sits the Wolong National Nature Reserve. Red pandas, golden monkeys, and white-lipped deer are just some of the rare animals that call this area home. However, the park’s most popular residents are the 150 critically endangered giant pandas.
There are just about 1,500 wild Giant Pandas extant, making them a critically endangered bear species. Unfortunately, the Wolong Panda Center has been closed to the public since the earthquake in May of 2008. Bifengxia, the Center’s sister facility located outside of Ya’an City, is now home to the majority of the pandas.
3. Piatra Craiului Mountains
There are over 4,500 black bears in Romania, making it Europe’s black bear capital. Although many Romanian tour companies boast “bear watching” excursions, actually spotting wild bears is extremely unlikely; “bear (or wild animal) searching” could be a more accurate description.
The Piatra Craiului Mountains, part of the Southern Carpathians, are a great site to go on a bear safari tour. A national park protects the entire mountain range. Zărneşti is the hub of activity for tourists in the park.
4. Denali National Park
Located in the heart of Alaska, Denali National Park and Preserve is home to Mount McKinley, the continent’s tallest peak. Denali is the Athabaskan term for Mount McKinley, and it means “the high one.”
Denali is home to a healthy population of grizzly bears and black bears. The bears get the bulk of their nutrition from the abundant wild blueberries and soap berries that grow in this environment. Denali has a high concentration of bears, but thanks to rangers’ efforts to teach visitors to
bear safety, dangerous encounters are far less common.
5. Katmai National Park
Located in southern Alaska, Katmai National Park is a national park that is about the same size as Whale. When planning a brown bear safari, Katmai should be at the top of your list. Over 2,000 brown bears were counted in the park in the most recent survey. Bears sometimes cluster around Brooks Falls in search of salmon because of the abundance of salmon in the area.
The rangers in Katmai Park take great precautions to ensure that the bears there do not gain access to human food or have any interactions with visitors. Because of this, unlike bears in other areas, these ones aren’t afraid of or interested in humans and will let humans get considerably closer to them (for the sake of photography).
6. Svalbard
Approximately halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole is an archipelago known as Svalbard. Svalbard is well known for its polar bears, which also serve as the island’s unofficial mascot. There are approximately 3,000 polar bears that live in both the Svalbard archipelago and Franz Joseph Land (a Russian archipelago in the east). The islands of Kong Karls Land hold the biggest number of Polar bear in Svalbard but are closed for visitors.
Polar bears are more hazardous than brown bears found in Europe because of their erratic behavior. A rifle is a necessary item for anyone venturing outside of a settlement, even if they are protected from polar bears. The bears can therefore best be observed on an organized bear safari.
7. Churchill
Canada’s Churchill sits on the edge of Hudson Bay. It has earned the moniker “Polar Bear Capital of the World” due to the large number of bears that make the annual migration from the interior to the coast during fall. Visitors can observe polar bears from the comfort of tundra buggies, or specially adapted buses.
The best time to observe polar bears is in November, when the water in Hudson Bay freezes and the bears return to the huge peninsula to hunt ringed seals, their principal food source.
8. Kronotsky Nature Reserve
Bear safaris are becoming increasingly popular, and the Kronotsky Nature Reserve on the Kamchatka Peninsula’s shore is a prime destination. There are both volcanoes and geysers in Kronotsky, therefore the region is sometimes referred to as the Land of Fire and Ice.
Over 700 brown bears, including some of the world’s largest at over 540 kg (1,200 lb. ), call this wildlife reserve home. The bears of the Kronotsky Reserve are known to openly interact with one another near the park’s salmon streams.
9. Knight Inlet
Located 125 miles north of Vancouver, the Great Bear Rainforest is home to some of the best Grizzly Bear safari spots in all of British Columbia, and Knight Inlet lies in the southern section. These generally solitary animals congregate in great numbers in Knight Inlet, making it one of the few areas in North America where this occurs.
During the fall salmon run, visitors can watch bears from two safe viewing stands that gaze out over a spawning canal; up to six bears can often be seen vying for prime fishing positions.
10. Wrangel Island
Located well above the Arctic Circle, Wrangel Island is a rugged island. The last population of woolly mammoths, dating back to 1700 BC, was found in this area. However, because of the scarcity of food, these mammoths didn’t grow to the size of modern ones.
The biodiversity of Wrangel Island is unparalleled in the Arctic. There are more polar bear dens (snow caves) per square mile of land area on this island than anywhere else in the globe.
