{"id":1299,"date":"2025-04-27T07:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-27T07:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/?p=1299"},"modified":"2025-04-29T13:06:24","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T13:06:24","slug":"deep-in-canadas-wilderness-i-got-a-glimpse-into-another-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/27\/deep-in-canadas-wilderness-i-got-a-glimpse-into-another-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Deep in Canada\u2019s wilderness, I got a glimpse into another life"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\"Sunset\t<\/div>
Northern British Columbia has none of Quebec\u2019s culture, but it has plenty to offer (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A wild grizzly bear stands 40 metres away as I crouch behind a fallen tree, watching it chow down on some grass.<\/p>\n

Am I to be the next course? Or merely a Brit abroad, irritating this magnificent animal as it tries to concentrate on a post-hibernation meal?<\/p>\n

I\u2019m in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest, deep in the wilderness of British Columbia. As the name suggests, bears take up residence in the shadows of Canada<\/a>\u2019s mountains and live off the dark waters of the estuary.<\/p>\n

And I\u2019m here to find one. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s one of Canada\u2019s lesser-visited destinations<\/a>, with none of Quebec\u2019s culture or Toronto<\/a>\u2019s culinary wow factor. <\/p>\n

But there\u2019s more to Northern British Columbia than bear spotting; the area is steeped in a bloody colonial history I imagine few in the UK are aware of.<\/p>\n

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Plus, with snowcapped mountains, chocolate box towns and the city of Vancouver<\/a> a one-hour flight away, the region has plenty for every taste \u2014 but bear spotting takes the ticket.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re going on a bear hunt<\/h2>\n

In my mind\u2019s eye, I see myself befriending a beast, a modern-day Tarzan in hiking boots and a red puffer jacket. But despite their prevalence in the area, it\u2019s a battle simply finding one to get close to.<\/p>\n

We have just spent two hours on a jet boat battling wind and rain to reach an estuary to try and spot a glimpse of wildlife.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As we near our target location, the mountains rise around us, framing the landscape, the icy spray whipping us as we venture further into the wilderness.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"Canada\t<\/div>
Staring at the bear (Picture: Brooke Davies)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Signs that bears are close are becoming more apparent.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2018You know you are getting closer when you see grass chopped squarely at the ends,\u2019 our guide Rob Bryce explains. \u2018They\u2019ve been eating it after coming out of hibernation.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n

Speaking in a soft Canadian drawl, his tone conveys years of experience \u2014 over time, he has become one with the landscape he has dedicated his life to.<\/p>\n

Rob\u2019s company, Northern BC Jet Boat Tours<\/a>, prides itself on taking both tourists and city-dwelling Canadians off the beaten path to discover the overlooked treasures this region has to offer.<\/p>\n

He assures me he has never once failed to find a bear in these parts.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"Canada\t<\/div>
We had spent two hours on a jet boat passing magnificent scenery to reach one of the estuaries (Picture: Brooke Davies)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The anticipation of seeing one in the wild grows the longer we are on the road, but we\u2019re warned to be wary.<\/p>\n

I recall the story of Timothy Treadwell \u2013 known as \u2018Grizzly Man\u2019 \u2013 who insisted he could live alongside bears in Alaska. To no one\u2019s surprise, he was killed and eaten, alongside his girlfriend.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Their deaths were only discovered after a gruesome audio recording was found inside a camera left at the scene, with park rangers forced to listen to the cries of the couple as they were mauled to death.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But the chances of us being attacked are, thankfully, slim. Bears who are fresh out of hibernation eat only grass for the first six weeks to rebuild their strength before they can hunt.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, I make a note of where the bear spray is stored and mentally map a crude exit strategy.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"Canada\t<\/div>
Flying on a seaplane for the first time (Picture: Brooke Davies)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Adrenaline rush<\/h2>\n

Hours into our expedition, the boat falls silent as the engine cuts off.<\/p>\n

Rob, with his eagle eyesight, has spotted a brown lump slowly wandering in the tall grass close to the water.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s strange how the human brain reacts to being examined by a predator.<\/p>\n

Adrenaline rushes through my body. Eye-to-eye with nature, in my bones I know that I am prey, exposed and staring deep into the soul of the King of the Rainforest. But the bear merely looks up, unfazed by the sight of us, and continues its munching.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Soon enough, two more reveal themselves, forming a triangle around our boat. To my delight, they are joined by twin cubs.<\/p>\n

Seeing the cubs playing in the grass brings a rush of warmth to my heart \u2014 and a reminder that we are intruders.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tMetro explores lesser-known Canada\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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