Eurasian Brown Bear by a lake. In the Taiga forest near the Russian border in north eastern Finland we had been waiting patiently for several hours to get a sight of a Eurasian Brown Bear (Ursus arctos arctos). Dusk was advancing quickly and our chances of seeing a bear were receding quickly. Suddenly, a Brown Bear emerged from the gloom. It made its way along the lake shore scavenging for food so as to put on as much weight as possible in preparation for the winter. The majority of their diet consists of sedges, fruits, berries leaves and roots. They do not normally catch and kill their food but will scavenge on almost anything. These bears can double their weight from spring to winter. They are not full hibernators but like to den in protected spots and are easily woken!
A fully grown male Eurasian brown Bear can weigh up to 480 kg and can have length of 2.5m. Females are smaller weighing between 150-250kg. They have huge paws with claws that can be 10cm long. It is thought that there are around 2000 bears in Finland.