Bear watching in the High Tatras mountains of Slovakia

The High Tatras is the highest mountain range in Central Europe outside of the Alps. There is also a high density of bears in the region. The unique terrain makes it possible to have a good chance of seeing bears at certain times of the year without the need to use Hides. The reason for this is because of the steep slopes and the occurrence of avalanches in the winter - this clears tracks down the mountains which are full of the grasses and berries that the bears eat in the spring and autumn. Therefore by moving along the bottom of the valleys it is possible to look up and see bears eating.

No baiting
Although the sightings are not as close as the sightings from a hide these are sightings that do not alter the behaviour of the bears - virtually all hides in Romania, Bulgaria and the rest of Europe use bait to attract the bears. This gives good chances of seeing the bears from a close distance but it alters their natural behaviour considerably. Baiting animals has been stopped in Africa and Asia (tigers and leopards) but for some reason it is still considered OK in the Europe - we disagree - we believe that this should be the future for bear watching in Europe. We believe that we are the only bear watching outfit that can offer non-hide based trips with a virtually guaranteed chance of sightings.

Collaring a bear in the Tatras as part of 'Project Bear'.

The chances of seeing bears is very high here; in fact apart from the great salmon runs in North America, it is claimed that this area provides the best chance possible to see Brown bears in their natural habitat in the world. In May/June and September/October the chances of seeing a bear are above 90% (based on three days in the mountains).

Other wildlife
With regard to other wildlife, there are virtually guaranteed chances of seeing the Tatra Chamois and the Tatra Marmot, both unique subspecies to the region. In addition there are good chances of seeing red deer, roe deer and foxes as well as many birds such as the Golden Eagle and different types of grouse. There are also wild boar, lynx and wolves in the mountains however these are extremely difficult to see - however as our experience of the mountains increases we are looking to improve the chances of seeing these animals. We will almost certainly see wolf tracks and wolf spoor, and we can also show clients the pictures of wolves from our camera traps.

The Walking
The unique partnership between Projekt Medved' and TANAP (High Tatras National Park Authorities) allows bear watchers access to non-tourist trails. These trails are obviously much quieter than regular tourist trails and therefore present much higher chances of seeing wildlife.

It must be remembered that this is a mountainous area and the walking can be relatively difficult with a few steep climbs that are short (35-50 minutes) but hard work. Due to the most of the trails not being tourist trails the terrain can be rugged. The maximum altitude achieved will be below 2500m. You will need to be in good shape physically.

The longest days could be up to 9 hours however hopefully much of this time will be spent sitting watching wildlife. Most days start and finish with a game drive in the valley floor, often, after having seen something from the vehicle; we will then walk to track it.

The Accommodation
In the mountains we use a combination of Ranger Cottages and Mountain Refuges. We have been given exclusive access to the Ranger Cottages by the park authorities. The cottages vary in size from 4 beds to 16 beds. They are heated by wood burners and chimneys, once the fires have got going they are very warm. The cottages tend to contain a kitchen/dining area and shared bedrooms sometimes with bunk beds; we provide bedding and towels. The facilities in the cottages are basic - most of them have no hot water or electricity. Many of the cottages have outdoor toilets but we try where possible to use those with indoor facilities. Where there are only outdoor facilities we will provide a chemical toilet. We provide cooked meals in the cottage; many have barbeque facilities with outside sitting areas which we can use if the weather permits.

The Mountain Refuges are like hostels, there are a number of double rooms and dormitories; there are high chances of getting the double rooms. Bathroom facilities are usually shared

The People
Due to this being a partnership between Projekt Medved' and TANAP you will be guided by a tour leader from Projekt Medved' and a TANAP ranger whilst off the tourist trails in the park. When on tourist trails within the park and for the periods outside the park your clients will be accompanied by a Projekt Medved' tour leader. The tours are marketed and sold under the company name of Stunning Slovakia.

More about Project Bear