Along the Finnish and Russian Border lies an area of land as empty and wild as it gets in Europe. Amongst this taiga forest roams one of Europe’s most impressive and threatened predators, the Brown Bear. Waiting in our specially designed hides that offer swamp, forest and meadow habitats on a summer evening when darkness hardly falls, a snap of a twig can be heard and there in front of our hide is this magnificent animal only a few feet away. Large dominant males are an awesome sight but the females with young are a joy to behold, especially the playful antics of the cubs. Other possible visitors include Wolverine and Elk; in 2011 we were also lucky enough to photograph a nesting Great Grey Owl which along with the more regular Red Squirrel and forest birds offers plenty of rewarding daytime options as well.