February 18, 2020 at 2:38 pm









Like something out of a fairy tale, teacher spots bears dancing in the woods. It was so magical, he thought he was imagining it.









While not in the classroom, Valtteri Mulkahainen from Sotkamo, Finland, devotes a lot of his free time to photography. For over six years, Valtteri has explored his country’s vast wildlife, capturing many of the special moments on camera.

Image credits: Valtteri Mulkahainen

On a warm sunny day in June, Valtteri was planning to explore the Finnish taiga around the town of Martinselkonen. As the gym teacher was canvassed the area, he noticed a bear coming into a clearing with a few small cubs.

“The cubs behaved like little children,” Valtteri said. “They were playing, and even started a few friendly fights. I felt like I was on a playground in front of my house, where small children frolic around. That’s how much they reminded me of little children. At one point, the three of them got up on their hind legs and started pushing each other. It was like they were dancing in a circle.”









Valtteri was in a shelter 165 feet away from the adorable action and had the perfect view. “I photographed the cubs with the bear all evening and all night,” he said.

Seeing the bear cubs up close shows how strong and agile they really are. Using their forelegs very effectively, they’re able to move all over the place. They can climb trees, swim in rivers and streams and run up to 30 miles per hour as an adult. Basically they’re the whole package.