Amy Harrison and the three bears

By Former Travel editor Amy Harrison tells us about her grizzly encounter

Manifested in heraldry, statues and tacky souvenirs, the bear is the inescapable icon of Berlin. Yet in the middle of a concrete jungle the last thing you expect to discover – even in a city of bears – is a real bear, let alone three.

When the audio guide at the Fernsehturm (Television Tower) made a fleeting reference to three bears that lived in Berlin, I became intrigued. Three bears? Living in Berlin?

I drew a blank with my Rough Guide and so enquired at a tourist office. The assistant was reluctant to disclose information but eventually gave me directions to Köllnischer Park. The secrecy and lack of publicity served to worry me as to the conditions in which I would find the bears.

On the edge of Köllnischer Park, in a quiet corner of a bustling city were Tilo, Maxi and Schnute. I, a lone tourist, stood mesmerised for an hour standing just six feet away; the skill with which they peeled oranges was incredible and their games, play fights and kisses were endearing.

I was surprised that the enclosure was such a reasonable size and so well created with trees, a pond, and a concealed enclosure for sleeping. Food was hidden among wood chips and hanging from the trees to allow them to forage. The enclosure was no worse than those at the greatly publicised Berlin Zoo.

When I got home I trawled Google to find out more. Information in English was scarce, but the tourist sites showed their disapproval with vocabulary such as ‘bear pit’, ‘imprisoned’ and ‘sad sight’.

Looking back at my experience with the Berliner Bären it was a real curiosity. The Berliners were so proud to display their city’s icon in every shape and form, yet the real life Berliner Bären seemed to be Berlin’s best kept secret.