Hibernation preparations

Sunday is the end of the season at Bear World. Starting Monday keepers will be prepping the park for hibernation.

“Wintertime is always really busy,” said owner Courtney Ferguson. “We’re bringing dens, we’re bringing leaves, we’re bringing straw. All the things that the bears need so they can den up and hibernate.”

During the fall season, bears go through a hyperphagia.

“Where they’re taking on extra calories to prepare for winter,” said Ferguson.

How does hyperphagia work for bears in captivity?

“So we’re feeding two to three times the amount that we would normally feed in July,” he said.

What does a bear pack on calories with?

“Grains, breads, produce all sorts of different things that they’re interested in,” Ferguson said.

The bears at Bear World will go into hibernation sometime in November and stay in hibernation till the first part of March.
Some may think hibernation is a long nap, but that isn’t the case.

“Well when they’re in hibernation they are still alert and aware of everything that goes on around them,” Ferguson said. “They’ll lift their heads and look around. We’re here every day but they are very aware of everything that’s going on. Their metabolisms are basically shut down.”

When in hibernation a bear’s heart beat will decrease to less than 10 beats per minute.