All of these images were taken at the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary in Orr, Minnesota. These are all wild bears that congregate at the sanctuary due to their feeding practices. Vince Shute started this practice many years ago in an attempt to keep the bears away from loggers in the area who were killing them because they felt threatened by their presence. Today, the purpose of the sanctuary is to educate people about bear behavior. Most visitors to the sanctuary pay a small fee to view the bears from a raised deck (which opens after 5pm). The group I was with payed a more substantial fee to be allowed to wander amongst the bears for an entire day (within the confines of the meadow area where the feeding is done). The bears are accustomed to (and tolerate) the presence of humans within the meadow and it was a thrill to mingle in amongst them.