Brown Bears (Info, Pics and Videos)

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Caption of this photo says: "Father and son, the steps fit well together. "  That is Sulo Karjalainen walking and male brown bear Vyöti is following "father" to somewhere.

*This image is copyright of its original author

There would be so many good and also funny stories from Sulo Karjalainen... but here is a bit about Vyöti. He came to Sulo as a small cub, 2,5 kg, brought by police, because he was orphanage bear cub and Sulo was known at the time already. So he is raised by Sulo from cub.

Vyöti and younger bear Juuso have been with Sulo doing many things, for instance when fishing with fishnet, so bears in the boat. Even though overall things have gone well, many hilarious incidents have happened, bears are very curious and want to participate to everything : Shortly, there have been many times oars floating in water, when bears have wanted to have something in "hands" while Sulo has been using some tools. And when denied something, bears easily got offended and jumped into the lake to swim. Once whole boat capsized, when both Vyöti and Juuso went to same board and Sulo didn´t notice that in time :) But all survived after some swimming :)

Once in early winter Sulo went to put fishnets under the lake  ice. Vyöti wanted to go with Sulo, so he took it with him and decided, that he let Vyöti be with him all winter if it doesn´t want to hibernate. They managed to put fishnet ok and ice was strong enough to carry them. All ok. The next night there was a lot of snowing and hole in the ice was covered so, that difficult to see. Sulo saw it though and started to swipe off snow. Vyöti saw that and wanted to participate, it run quickly towards Sulo (It had played in the snow first, running and making somersaults in snow). Before Sulo could do anything, Vyöti was there and same time ice broke under Vyöti on the edge of that hole in the ice and Vyöti dived to water head first under the surface and ice.

Sulo went right away on his belly on ice and pushed his whole arm in the water and managed to grab a hold from fur of backside of Vyöti. Temperature was -20 degrees Celcius Vyöti  managed to turn around and surfaced head first and climbed back on ice.... and stated to play around again like nothing happened

Sulo went to check fur of Vyöti, that how wet, he noticed, that... hmmmm.... lower fur right next to skin was completely dry. So he started to lift fishnet. Vyöti came there and wanted to have fish. There was some disagreement first, Vyöti first wanted to have every fish and fast, but learned quickly that which fish were to him and which Sulo wanted to keep for himself. When he saw, that there was coming up a fish, which was for Sulo, it was behaving like nothing special happening. But when he saw, that fish for him, he started move feverishly wanting to grab it :) Then when Sulo got fish loose from net and threw to Vyöti, it took it and run away for short distance and ripped fish to peaces, then quickly back to get new one... he wasn´t eating those fish at all.

A little bit before Christmas, Vyöti then again made it clear, that not interested anymore about fishing and went to his "bearhouse" and started hibernate

It is a pity, that some videos, in which Sulo is interviewed, aren´t with English subtitles. He has experienced a lot with his bears.

When younger, those bears were in a way like dogs, Sulo tells. They were watching all the time where Sulo is and protecting him. Once they forced Sulo to go aside, when herd of moose was passing by and bears Vyöti and Juuso then guarded, that Sulo stay aside until moose were away :) 



Well, if I some day have time and inspiration I try to find something more. 

Juuso bear, biggest captive bear in Finland. 250 cm on hind legs and 483 kg in heaviest condition before hibernation in his prime.

*This image is copyright of its original author

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