We’re on the hunt for brown bear dens in Poland’s Car-pathian mountains, on the border with Ukraine. The lairs lie within the gnarled caverns that form naturally at the base of decaying fir trees when they get to about 130 years old. Each den is slightly different – some have rocky bottoms, others have been lined with beech leaves. Looking inside gives an insight into the character of each bear, just like visiting a friend’s house.
We pass half a dozen caverns in a 15-hectare area on the steep, rocky slope of Lutowiska forest district, just outside Bieszczady national park. There are an estimated 110 brown bears left in Poland and this slope is dense with dens and likely to be home to one mother and one or two cubs, with many others passing through.
The dens aren’t the only thing to note in this section of forest, which is named Lot 73. There are
