BBC: When programme maker Ted Oakes went to the Northwoods of Minnesota to film black bears, he had no idea that he would have such an intimate encounter.
Ted filmed the bears with the help of biologist Dr Lynn Rogers. As black bears spend most of their time deep in the forests, researchers have only been able to study them by radio tracking their movements. Lynn did this for 25 years before he decided to take a different approach. He learned how to gain the bears’ trust so that they allowed him to follow them. The bears have come to ignore Lynn’s presence and he has been able to study their natural behaviour.
The researchers working with Lynn follow a strict protocol when following the study bears in Minnesota. They can feed a bear a small amount of natural food when they meet it. They have to greet the bear and it has to know who they are. The bear will then often accept their presence for most of the day.