Big 5s

Andy Parkinson

Photographer

“My favourite animal to photograph to date is the Kamchatka brown bear in Russia’s remote Kamchatka peninsula. A direct descendant of the Kodiak browns, the biggest brown or grizzly bears on Earth, the Kamchatka bears are found in spectacular concentrations during the salmon run of July to August. Flying by helicopter into the Russian wilderness is an experience like no other. It’s such a wild, remote and pristine environment. The helicopters pass between spectacular volcanoes into what appears like a prehistoric landscape.

The bears, like so many other creatures, are unfairly maligned. If they’re approached respectfully, they’re incredibly tolerant of my presence. Working at close proximity really allows me to capture intimate details of the spectacular physiology. Their claws have to be seen to be believed.

Watching them fish is also a breathtaking experience, rising from the slumber and then crashing through the water with the speed of a racehorse. It’s easy to see why in this part of the world they are the apex predator.”

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