Bear watching in the Finnish forest Jun 13, 2021

If you go out to the woods today in parts of Finland, you might get a big surprise. That"s because about 2,000 brown bears can be found freely roaming the taiga—or boreal forest—which covers most of the country, making this rugged wilderness in northern Europe the perfect place to see these majestic animals in their natural habitat. And bear watching is a popular pastime in Finland. The bear-watching season begins in April—when the first bears emerge from hibernation in a white blanket of snow—and lasts until fall. Summer nights are the best time to spot the bears, even under the golden glow of the midnight sun for those who venture north of the Arctic Circle. Many observe the creatures from the safety of a "hide," a purpose-built wooden cabin offering visitors a close-up view of a real teddy bear"s picnic.

© Jules Cox/Minden Pictures

palette

Today in History

Jun 13, 2019A unique elephant encounter in Nantes
Jun 13, 2020A gorge-ous mill in the Causses
Jun 13, 2022Okavango Delta, Botswana
Jun 13, 2023Okefenokee Swamp
Jun 13, 2024Registan Square, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Jun 13, 2025Vila Franca Islet, São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Dec 12, 2019On the lookout for Sheep-Cote Clod
Jan 25, 2025Porto, Portugal
Jul 19, 2025National Moth Week
May 26, 2021Behold the blood moon
May 1, 2020It s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Oct 17, 2024Frost-covered dunes on Mars
Aug 10, 2021Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch on the institution s 175th anniversary
Oct 10, 2018Space is for everyone
Feb 6, 2024Bonsai Rock, Lake Tahoe, Nevada
Sep 18, 2023Fall Astronomy Week
Oct 19, 2024International Archaeology Day
Oct 18, 2018Fall comes to the Last Frontier
Dec 18, 2019It’s Weihnachtsmarkt time!
Aug 7, 2024St. Joseph North Pier Inner and Outer Lights, Michigan
Mar 2, 2023Negratín Reservoir, Granada, Spain
Jul 24, 2020Trunks stick together
Jan 22, 2021Cold? What cold?
Jun 1, 2021Pretty poetic for a pit
May 8, 2023Arches National Park, Utah
Jul 22, 2018Travel Sunday: On the Ganges in Varanasi, India
Jan 28, 2023The Bahamas as seen from the ISS
Jan 9, 2025Remembering Jimmy Carter
Jul 16, 2020Summertime in Alaska
Sep 2, 2020A rock in a wild place
Sep 7, 2022200th anniversary of Brazilian independence
Jun 8, 2018Green sea turtle on World Oceans Day
Nov 17, 2024Red deer stag in Glen Affric, Scottish Highlands
Jan 22, 2020A horse of many colors
Dec 9, 2023National Llama Day
May 21, 2021Whoopin it up!