Amazing photos show a mother teaching her three cubs to survive in the forest by making them keep watch for any approaching males.
Each of the brown bear cubs take their turn keeping watch while the family relaxes by a nearby river – before they all patrol the area.
They are protecting their territory from adult male bears, who have been known to attack and kill young cubs.
Alexander Perov, 52, took the photos on the Russian border near Kajaani, Finland.
The photographer from Moscow, Russia, said: ‘I enjoy visiting this location because watching the bears up close is really exciting.
‘The mother bear accompanies the cubs teaching them the real forest life and preparing them for big males, who are terrifying.
‘That is why the three-four month old cubs that you can see in the pictures are often standing on their back legs – it helps them to run away more quickly or to climb the nearest tree as the adult bears can’t do this.’
Once they are fully grown, the cubs will be nearly ten foot tall on their hind legs and could weigh up to 102 stone.
A mother teaches her three cubs to survive in the forest by making them keep watch for any approaching males
Keeping watch: the three cubs look over the river protecting their territory from adult male bears
Learning from Mummy: Each of the brown bear cubs take their turn keeping watch while the family relaxes by a nearby river
Alexander Perov, 52, took the photos of the three cubs and mother on the Russian border near Kajaani, Finland
The three cubs are still growing, they can get to ten feet tall on their hind legs and could weigh up to 102 stone
The bears look in different directions as they are protecting their territory from adult male bears, who have been known to attack and kill young cubs
Alex Perov, a photographer from Moscow, Russia, said: ‘I enjoy visiting this location because watching the bears up close is really exciting’
One of the bear cubs climbs the tree while another hides in the grass as the mother bear looks across the water
On lookout: the bears all look to protect their family from predators