I awoke from a deep sleep desperately needing to pee, naturally I yielded and padded out of the safety and comfort of the van to the nearest bush to let nature run its course. On returning to the van I noticed a furry shape in the dark… Only four metres away stood a Slovakian brown bear. Heart racing I quickly shut myself back into the van to wake Dora up and opened the front curtains to watch a mother bear and her two cubs rummage through the bins only two metres from the comfort of our bed. Occasionally she cast furtive looks to the van, then back to rummaging to feed her cubs. After tipping the bin to get the last of the juices out, mother and cubs slumped back down the trail and into the woods.

Words: Hugo Pullen | Photos: Dora Damian