Places to see bears

Abruzzo National Park, Italy
This enchanting 150,000-acre nature reserve, about an hour's drive from Rome, is home to about 100 brown bears. Lazy and solitary, the local Marsica bears venture out in the cooler hours of the day and night. They don't hibernate, but they do become less active in winter, and can be hard to spot without binoculars. Abruzzo is a haven for a number of protected species including the golden eagle, lynx, Apennine wolf and Abruzzo chamois.

Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, United States
An estimated 3,000 of the world's biggest brown bears live on Kodiak Island. Distinguished by a muscle hump over their shoulders, they can weigh up to 1,500 pounds and, on their hind legs, can measure over 11ft tall. From June to October many travel to Kodiak's river and lake systems to dine on leaping salmon. Commercial flights and the State Ferry System serve the island. Tour guide services and a few public-use cabins are available.

Katmai National Park, Alaska, United States
Thousands fly to Katmai National Park, about 290 miles south-west of Anchorage, each year to see around 4,000 brown bears feeding on pink salmon, playing games, quarrelling and mating. May to September are best for viewing, though there are few bears in August. There are two viewing platforms on Brooks River. The park has few lodging and camping facilities. Daily commercial flights operate between Anchorage and King Salmon.

Denali National Park, Alaska, United States
This largely treeless, six million-acre park is home to Mount McKinley and hundreds of grizzly bears. There are shuttle and tour buses on the park's main road (private vehicles are generally not allowed). Backpackers can break away from the road. The park is accessible by car, bus or train from Anchorage or Fairbanks. Most shuttle tickets and camp spaces can be reserved no more than two days in advance, in person only, at the park.

The Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia, Canada
This eight million-acre forest is the largest remaining expanse of undeveloped temperate rainforest. It is home to black bears, blue glacier bears and the rare kermode or spirit bears. Although grizzlies thrive here, they are threatened by hunters and their habitat is destroyed by loggers. They dwell on low-elevation mountain slopes, river valleys, floodplains, wetlands and in estuaries, eating berries, clams, salmon and insects.

Princess Royal Island, British Columbia, Canada
The rare kermode or spirit bear that survived the Ice Age now lives solely in British Columbia. The largest concentration lives on Princess Royal Island where there are fewer than 100. The spirit bear's parents and siblings are usually black, while the white bear is actually a member of the black bear family, but a rare double-recessive gene gives it its colour. There are sailing tours in autumn when spawning salmon attract bears along streams.

Yellowstone Park, Wyoming, The Rocky Mountain States, United States
Yellowstone Park is one of a few preserves and sanctuaries in the world where bears roam freely and can be seen by visitors under fairly controlled circumstances. The 2.2 million-acre park, for which passes are needed, is home to both grizzly and, particularly, black bears. The best time to see bears is very early in the morning or late in the evening when they are out hunting for their food.

Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Island is recognised as the world's most densely populated area for black bears - about 7,000 of them live here. The black bears - which inspired the name "teddy bear" after Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a black bear cub while hunting in 1902 - are best seen in spring and autumn when they feed on salmon in rivers. They can also be seen during the summer in the alpine environment, though they are harder to find.

Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary, British Columbia, Canada
This 44,000-hectare sanctuary, Canada's first, is also home to the black bear and other wildlife. 45km north-east of Prince Rupert in the Coast Mountains, it is designed to preserve the natural habitat for grizzlies, so human activity is not encouraged. Hundreds of grizzlies go to the shores in August. Controlled viewing is allowed but visitors must register at the ranger station and travel with a commercial guide or park ranger.

Margarete Steiff Museum, Giengen, Germany
Fans of the stuffed and safer-to-cuddle variety, the teddy bear, should head to the great Steiff Museum, which has about 13,000 animals and dolls on display. The animals, the creation of Giengen-born Margarete Steiff, were highly collectable for their originality and distinctive personalities. Born in 1847 and crippled by polio, Steiff went into toy production in 1880 after she made a felt elephant as a pin cushion.

Source: Teletext Holidays - September 2006