My fiancee Donna has just met a charming black bear yearling whilst working on BBC Planet Earth Live in Minnesota. She sent me these fantastic photographs and said that I could share them with you.
She didn't just stumble across the bear whilst strolling on her own through the woods, she was with black bear scientist Dr Lynn Rogers of http://www.bearstudy.org who has been working with the Planet Earth Live team. He has been studying bears for over 30 years in Minnesota and in that time has formed trusting relationships with dozens of wild bears, including mothers with cubs. He regularly spends entire days walking and resting with them, detailing their activities, diet, ecology and social organisation, and by doing so has provided much of the scientific information that is now known about this charismatic mammal.
Lynn was the star of the BBC Natural World film Bear Walker of the North Woods and in 2009/10 worked with cameraman Gordon Buchanan to document a family of black bears in The Bear Family and Me.
You can see a clip from Planet Earth Live featuring Lynn, at the end of this post.
Planet Earth Live returns to BBC One Weds May 16th, 7:30pm
Black bear yearling (Photo: Donna Dixon)
Black bear yearling and Dr Lynn Rogers (Photo: Donna Dixon)
Black bear yearling (Photo: Donna Dixon)
Black bear yearling (Photo: Donna Dixon)
Black bear yearling (Photo: Donna Dixon)
Black bear yearling (Photo: Donna Dixon)
