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By Hannah Stitfall
Slovenia, a small but incredibly diverse and beautiful country in Central Europe, is one of my favourite wildlife filming destinations on the continent.
With a very small human population of just over 2 million people, there’s plenty of space for nature and some of the most magnificent wildlife species: wolves, lynxes, wild cats, red squirrels and pine martens can all be found here.
The country has preserved many of its forests and is, in fact, one of the most forested countries in Europe, with over half of its landmass covered with trees. It is a true and untamed paradise for any wilderness lover or outdoor enthusiast.
In addition to the woodlands, the country is home to a striking variety of other landscapes, too, from the rugged peaks of the Julian Alps to sweeping meadows and vast lakes. Slovenia’s wilderness should be on any outdoor adventurer’s list!
I have travelled here a few times now to film one of the most iconic species not only in Europe, but the entire world – the European brown bear!
They can be found within the pristine forests of the Notranjska region, part of the expansive Dinaric Alps and one of the most extensive and wild mountainous areas in Europe. These dense mixed forests, filled with fir, birch, and spruce trees, are the perfect habitat for brown bears.
Despite being Europe’s largest carnivore, the majority (around 80%) of a brown bear’s diet consists of tree nuts, fruits, grasses, plants and berries, of which these forests are plentiful. Here, you will find one of the largest populations of brown bears in Europe, which is part of the larger Dinaric-Pindos bear population extending through the Balkans. That makes this one of the best places in Europe to film these incredible creatures.
Each time I go here, I travel to the Slovenian Bears photo hides.
Despite the bear’s size (adult males can reach up to 355kg in weight and some up to 2.2 metres when stood on their hind legs) and formidable reputation, brown bears are actually incredibly shy and reserved creatures. At the first sense of human presence, they’ll run back into the safety of the forests.
That is why the team on the ground has established a network of photography hides throughout the mountainous forests. This ensures that the bears are not disturbed and also gives the photographers the best chance to see them. Of course, this is a wild population, so nothing is ever guaranteed, making the bear sightings even more special!
On my most recent trip, I spent nearly two weeks in Slovenia. I wanted to give myself plenty of time, as I travelled during the best time of the year to film cubs!
A female brown bear will give birth to litters of usually between two to three cubs whilst hidden away in a den deep in the forest, between January and February. The cubs will stay in the safety of the den until spring, when they take their first steps outside, always right by their mother’s side. The cubs will then stay with their mothers for between one and a half to two and half years before they head off into the wildness on their own. During this time, the mother will teach them everything they need to know about the wilds so they can go and raise their own families.
Despite it being the best time of year to film the bear cubs, as I mentioned, nothing is ever guaranteed, which I’m always fully aware of every time I go on a trip like this one.
On my first day, after 6 hours in the hide, I saw nothing, not even an adult bear. So you can imagine my sheer elation when, on the second day of my trip, a mother with two tiny cubs appeared!
They stayed in front of the hide for a good 40 minutes, which meant I managed to get some lovely photographs and footage of the cubs, particularly one of them who had darker fur and was quite the character! Throughout the rest of my trip, I was very fortunate with sightings and had three good days with cubs, so I was very lucky indeed!
Each day, I spent about 6 hours in the photography hides at a time. It was an incredibly hot time of year, reaching 40 degrees on some days, which can be quite tiring, but you have to stay alert at all times.
For this trip, I was armed with my Craghoppers NosiLife range, as being in wooden hides in the thick forests during summer meant there were lots of mosquitoes! Thankfully, I didn’t get bitten once, thanks to my gear, which was also very comfortable and breathable to wear on those scorching hot days! I will definitely be taking it on other wildlife filming trips when heading to warmer climates!
The dense and vast forests of Slovenia are a must for any wildlife enthusiasts and filmmakers eager to hopefully see these magnificent animals. It is like stepping into another world, and feels like some of the last true remaining wildernesses in Europe.
For anyone planning a trip there, I would highly recommend Slovenian Bears. Their team is fantastic; they put wildlife first while giving photographers a glimpse into the lives of these highly elusive creatures, promoting conservation and respect for nature.
I already can’t wait to go back again. Filming European brown bears is exhilarating enough, but having the opportunity to film tiny cubs is any wildlife filmmaker’s dream.
Thank you, Craghoppers, for kitting me out in the NosiLife range, too, as it made those 6-hour hide stints all the more comfortable!
About the author: Hannah is a wildlife filmmaker and TV presenter. Her work can be seen on BBC Earth and in her new book, Wild Treasures.
