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A photographer who discovered baby bears dancing in a forest thought he was imagining it

Valtteri Mulkahainen has shared some incredibly rare photos of a group of baby bears dancing in a forest and it’s a reminder of the endless beauty of nature.

For the past six years, Mulkahainen has ventured out into the Finnish countryside taking photos of wildlife. One particular time, back in 2013, Mulkahainen decided to explore a Finnish taiga (a boreal forest) around the town of Martinselkonen. As he was wandering around, he noticed a bear who was joined by a few cubs.

Speaking to Bored Panda, Mulkahainen described: “The cubs behaved like little children.”

baby bears finland

“They were playing, and even started a few friendly fights,” he continued. “I felt like I was on a playground in front of my house, where small children frolic around. That’s how much they reminded me of little children. At one point, the three of them got up on their hind legs and started pushing each other. It was like they were dancing in a circle.”

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From a sheltered vantage point about 50 metres away, Mulkahainen observed the bears, photographing them well into the night. The fact that Mulkahainen was able to get these pictures is quite incredible.

Whilst they are common almost everywhere in Finland, bears are rarely seen by humans, as they try to avoid us at all costs. A combination of incredible senses and the ability to get around stealthily allow them to retreat as soon as they realise they have company.

The Natural Resources Institute Finland reports that there were between 2020 and 2130 bears in the country before the 2019 hunting season.

Check out the photos below.

baby bears finland
Image by Valtteri Mulkahainen.
baby bears finland
Image by Valtteri Mulkahainen.
baby bears finland
Image by Valtteri Mulkahainen.
baby bears finland
Image by Valtteri Mulkahainen.

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