A personal travel story about our first encounter with Canadian black bears.
Even before breakfast, everyone is a little nervous. Excitement is already running through our veins. Canada is famous for its bear population, but so far those bears seem more like a myth. During our first hikes, we did not see any sign of them. The Canadian forests are so dense that you can often barely see ten metres ahead. Or perhaps we make far too much noise while hiking and announce our arrival long before we get there. The fact that we have not seen any bears yet is good news for our safety, but somewhat less encouraging for our expectations. For now, buying bear spray is beginning to feel more like purchasing a very expensive souvenir.
Professional Help
Time to call in the experts.
We head to Domaine Le Pic Bois, where a guide will introduce us to the world of the black bear. If anyone knows where these mysterious animals are hiding, it is him. Our expectations are high, although we consciously try to keep them under control. After all, the bears had managed to outsmart us every single day so far.
We arrive right on time, and the guide starts with some explanations.
In French.
At first, we can follow along reasonably well, but when it comes to the safety instructions, we are completely lost. Everyone starts fiddling with their phones, except for those four Belgians. They do not realise their phones are supposed to be switched to silent mode. Fortunately, the guide later repeats everything in English. Setting off without understanding the safety instructions seemed like an excellent recipe for ending up as bear food much sooner than planned.
The Last Hundred Metres
The group gets ready to head towards the observation platform. By now, everyone has become noticeably quieter. Our guide gives a few final instructions, and then we set off.
The platform is located about a kilometre deep in the dense Canadian forest.
Roughly one hundred metres before we reach our destination, the guide suddenly stops. Automatically, everyone starts looking around.
Could the first bear already be nearby?
After all, we have not even reached the platform yet.
But there is no bear to be seen.
Instead, our guide wants to stress one final point: the moment we see the platform, we walk straight towards it. No lingering. No stopping for photos. Just keep moving and head directly inside.
Suddenly, those final hundred metres feel far more exciting than the previous kilometre.
The Observation Platform
We reach the platform without incident and take our seats on the wooden benches.
Now comes the waiting.
In front of us lies an open clearing in the middle of the forest. Meanwhile, our guide prepares the bait. Among other things, he uses caramel and animal fats to attract the bears into the clearing. The quantities are deliberately limited. The bears still need to find the vast majority of their food in the surrounding forest. For black bear observation, this is a commonly used technique in Québec.
Ninety-Five Percent
Black bears are creatures of habit, and perhaps it is exactly that predictability that gives us hope today.
At this site, the chance of seeing at least one bear is an impressive 95%.
A reassuring statistic, although numbers remain strangely abstract until there is an actual bear standing in front of you.
Fortunately, we do not have to wait long for proof.
Barely have we settled into our seats when something moves among the trees.
Soon, a four-year-old bear emerges and comes closer.
Suddenly, that 95% is no longer a number. It is a living, breathing bear only a few metres away.
A Real Sweet Tooth
It quickly becomes clear that this bear has quite a sweet tooth.
With remarkable determination, he heads straight for the caramel and works his way through the different feeding spots. Calmly, he ambles from one location to the next, as if he has done this dozens of times before.
We follow every movement, afraid of missing even a single second.
After days of searching, scanning and hoping, he is finally here: our first Canadian bear.
Not a dark shadow between the trees.
Not our imagination playing tricks on us.
A real bear, right in front of us.
Once the last traces of caramel have disappeared, he decides he has had enough. Just as calmly as he arrived, he disappears back into the forest.
The Teddy Bear
We do not have to wait long for the next visitor.
Soon, a second bear appears.
And then something happens we had not expected at all:
A third bear shows up as well.
A young bear, barely one and a half years old.
With his mischievous look and slightly clumsy movements, he is simply irresistible.
A real teddy bear.
Dessert After the Storm
The scene is utterly adorable.
At least until the larger bear decides he would rather keep dessert all to himself.
Bears may look cuddly, but sharing clearly is not one of their strengths.
The young bear cautiously tries to sneak a bite, only to be put firmly in his place. The larger bear charges towards him.
The youngster does not hesitate for a second and shoots up the nearest tree.
The first time, he stays relatively low among the branches. Perhaps he hopes the older bear will change his mind and leave him a little treat after all.
It is wishful thinking.
When our lovable teddy bear eventually climbs back down, the larger bear spots him again.
This time, the message is unmistakable.
The little bear has no choice but to retreat into the tree once more.
But now he climbs higher.
Much higher.
He continues all the way up to what can only be described as the penthouse suite.
There he sits.
For more than twenty minutes, he remains high above us, safe among the branches, while we watch in fascination from below.
Only when the larger bear has completely disappeared from sight does he dare climb down again.
After all, dessert is still waiting.
One Final Check
When the bears are finally gone, our guide gently pulls us back to reality.
It is time to return to the visitor centre.
Before we leave, he encourages us to take one last careful look around the platform and make sure we have not forgotten anything.
Apparently, bears are quite fond of smartphones and have no trouble tearing apart an observation post to get at an interesting object.
And then, as the guide points out, he is the one who has to come back and repair the platform.
As we leave, he jokingly adds that we should also make sure no food scraps have been left behind.
The bears enjoy those even more than smartphones.
