Mother bear in Kuhmo in Eastern Finland gives birth to third set of quadruplet cubs

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Vartius in the eastern municipality of Kuhmo is the home to an exceptional mother-bear called Tatyana, famous for her large families.
      This year marks the third time Tatyana has given birth to four cubs in a litter.
      The previous sets of quadruplets she gave birth to in 2004 and 2007.
      Usually female bears give birth to one or two cubs every two to three years.
     
Tatyana is certainly no ordinary she-bear.
      "For example last year only three observations were made of mother bears with three cubs in tow. Not one single set of quadruplets was discovered”, explains Game and Fisheries Research Institute researcher Samuli Heikkinen.
      Lauri Luhtaniemi, who managed to photograph Tatyana and her litter from a shed specifically built for wildlife observers, tells about his August encounter with a very remarkable bear family.
     
      By Lauri Luhtaniemi
     
      “The first signs of the approaching autumn are already visible in the surrounding nature. The birch trees and the grass are turning yellowish in colour. The drizzle creates a dreamy landscape above the bog. The grey pine snags stand stoutly by the nearby pond. The temperature is below ten degrees and drops to near freezing at night.
      My wife and I arrive at the shed built for wildlife photographers after 4:30 in the afternoon.The idea is to take pictures of bears in their natural habitat.
      Soon we notice a bear peeking out through the trees straight ahead."
     
"The bear family stands at the edge of the forest looking towards the open area only a few dozen metres from our shed.
      Suddenly the mother bear stands up on her hind legs. The frightened mother and cubs run back into hiding in the forest.
      The bears were startled by a raven."
     
"Later we detect the mother and her cubs again. The family climbs on top of a rock, with the mother and one of the cubs seeking food from the rock’s crevices while the rest of the litter wanders back and forth on the crest of the rock formation.
      Once having found something to eat the mother takes her cubs back into the forest to eat. Although we cannot always see the bears, we can clearly hear the cubs fighting over who gets a mouthful."
     
"After eight o’clock it starts to get dark and at times we only see the bears’ dark shadowy figures against the light bog land.
      After nine o’clock one can hardly see anything and the bears can no longer be heard either. Later the family returns and stays in the area until the early morning."
     
"At around 3:30 a.m., when it is still dark, the bears’ sounds can be heard right in front of our shed. Although we cannot see anything, it is clear that the bear family is very close by.
      After half an hour, when daybreak starts drawing near and the dark figures can again be detected by the human eye, the mother and her cubs disappear back into the woods.”
     
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 5.9.2010


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Kainuu predators sitting ducks for foreign nature photographers (20.9.2005)

See also:
  Bear cubs come out to play in Ähtäri Wildlife Park (25.3.2009)
  Hunters on the scent of bears (31.8.2010)

Links:
  Brown Bear (Wikipedia)

Helsingin Sanomat