Black bears are smaller than their grizzly and polar bear relatives, but they still demand respect. Ursus americanus is the most numerous bear species in the world. As a result of their widespread distribution, the animals' range often overlaps with humans, but thankfully the bears are mostly uninterested in people and will go out of their way to avoid them. 

Wildlife filmmakers Kelsey Eliasson and Karine Genest have spent countless hours in the presence of these hefty omnivores and know only too well how to respect them from a distance. In the second episode of our Bears: Ultimate Survivors behind-the-scenes series, Eliasson and Genest talk about their experiences filming black bears and explain how sometimes the best-practice rules don't apply:

Watch episode one of the series below, or learn more about Bears: Ultimate Survivors here.