Expert-led tours into Estonia’s forests and bogs – from day-time bear and elk safaris to nocturnal owl hunts – all delivered with a conservation ethos.
Executive summary
Eleri Lopp is a veteran nature guide and wildlife photographer who leads specialised tours for spotting Estonia’s large mammals (bears, elk/moose, lynx) and birds of prey (owls, eagles, etc.). Her guiding draws on intimate local knowledge (forest hikes, winter tracking) and up-to-date wildlife data to maximise sightings while respecting animal welfare. She is also known for conservation advocacy – heading the NGO Eesti Suurkiskjad (Big Predators of Estonia) and helping delay unpopular culls through legal appeals.
A nature guide with camera and cause
Based in Harju County’s Kose region, Eleri operates the naturestonia.com centre (Silmsi village), which provides a base for nature experiences. She combines a formal photography background with years of field experience. Estonia’s relatively wild ecosystems – vast forests, bogs, and protected areas – form her “office”. Her tours often double as photo safaris; she offers advice on camera settings and fieldcraft to clients. As one write-up puts it, she will “take you to the best wildlife observation spots” and teach you about Estonia’s “intricate ecosystems” – everything from elk tracks to bear sign – with an emphasis on ethical wildlife viewing.
Eleri often works with foreign visitors or multi-day tour groups, adapting routes seasonally. For example, in spring–summer and again in early autumn she runs a bear watching trips. In winter, she might switch to tracking wolves or Lynx (using snowshoe treks and howling calls). Owls and other raptors get special treatment too: she has led focused owl-call hikes and raptor-watch expeditions, drawing from her published experience observing Ural Owls in Estonian forests.
Her ethos emphasises safety (both for guests and wildlife). Field techniques include using camouflage or hides discreetly, moving quietly along animal trails, and planning outings by season/time (e.g. dawn/dusk for mammals, night-time for owls). She also carries bear spray or communication gear in remote areas. In sum, her tours balance comfort and excitement: pre-arranged logistics and local guides ensure a safe outing even in deep forest, while her skill gives clients a real chance of spotting shy species.
Conservation and advocacy
Beyond guiding, Eleri is active in wildlife conservation. She heads the NGO “Eesti Suurkiskjad” (Big Predators of Estonia). This group has repeatedly challenged state predator culling quotas in court. For example, in 2023 the group successfully delayed Estonia’s wolf hunting season start via legal appeal, and in late 2023 it obtained a court injunction suspending the cull of five bears (a case she personally led). An international report (Euronews) confirms she has taken cases up to the Supreme Court, arguing that official population estimates are “less favourable” than claimed.
In summary: if you meet Eleri on tour, you’ll also hear about her campaign to balance human interests and predator protection in Estonia. (Where details are public, she cites alternative damage-prevention methods and better monitoring data – but the specific projects beyond those court cases are not publicly named.)
Qualifications and reviews
Eleri is known primarily for hands-on experience rather than formal certifications. Public sources describe her simply as a « professional wildlife guide and photographer ». Her photography work has been exhibited and cited by tourism bodies, which speaks to her expertise.
Booking information
Contacts given on official pages include Phone +372 58 437 752 and Email info@estonianwildlifetours.com (same contact is forwarded for Eleri). Her personal email elerilopp@hotmail.com is also listed for enquiries.
Most tours operate in English or Estonian (the guide is fluent in both). Durations and logistics are customised: for instance, the bear day trip runs only in May–June and Sept–Oct. Group sizes are always kept small.
