Bjørneparken in Flå is Norway's second largest wildlife park, with around 80,000 visitors a year. It opened in 1997 as Vassfaret Bjørnepark, named after the wilderness area that was home to Norway's last native bear population.
The park focuses on Norwegian predators - brown bears, wolves, lynx, wolverine - plus moose and farm animals. The enclosures are large and natural, and the animals are partly fed with roadkill from RV7 and the Bergen Railway.
In 2006, property tycoon Olav Thon was pulled over for speeding by the local sheriff. The conversation turned to the struggling bear park. Thon visited, noticed the bears had only a muddy hole to cool off in, and donated money for a proper bathing pond. That was just the start. He eventually invested over 120 million kroner in the park and transformed the whole village with a hotel, shopping centre and apartments.
In 2007, Flå was dying. By 2012, it had Norway's highest percentage population growth. The park also has Krokodilleland with crocodiles and snakes, and two Amur leopards - one of the world's rarest big cats.
