From War to the Wilderness
Julius Strauss, owner of Wild Bear Lodge and expert guide, worked for The Daily Telegraph for more than a decade as a foreign and war correspondent. Seeking a new beginning away from the front lines, Julius moved to Canada with his late partner, Kristin, an Estonian-born political journalist. While driving across British Columbia in an old camper van, they came across the lodge. They quickly fell in love with the property, the river and the remote valley that is home to some of Canada’s most awe-inspiring megafauna.
The Early Years
Life at the lodge was arduous in the beginning—surviving off-grid, with no outside services and in a world shaped by raw nature, is not for the faint-hearted. Julius and Kristin started with just a few rustic cabins. Later they built the main lodge that now welcomes guests from around the world. Guiding travellers into the surrounding wilderness began as a way of making a living, and has since grown into a passion.
In the early days, a grizzly they came to call Apple became Julius’ unexpected teacher, offering firsthand lessons in the ways of bears. When Apple was shot by hunters, Julius and Kristin were incensed. They began a campaign to try and ban grizzly hunting throughout BC. That led to the creation of the Wild Bear Fund, which supports bear conservation and other charity causes.
Writings from Near & Far
Today, Julius divides his time between running the lodge and guiding guests, and teaching and working as a journalist in eastern Europe and beyond. He travels to and writes about Ukraine, Russia, central Europe, the Balkans, Afghanistan and the Middle East. If you’re interested in reading more of his writing, the links below will take you directly to his Substack newsletters.
Captured on Camera
Wild Bear Lodge was featured in Ben Fogle’s beloved Channel 5 docuseries, in which he travels to meet people who have built new lives in remote corners of the world.
