Bears Build Bed - Close to Hibernation Now!

On Thursday morning, November 18th, Grinder and Coola suddenly decided it was time to build their hibernation bed! We had provided them with lots of nice soft fir branches a couple weeks before hand but they had gone largely ignored until today. The trigger for their bed building was probably our dropping temperatures and our first serious dump of snow. The snow, cold and short days are all triggers that the bears should begin their winter sleep.

It was all over in a couple short hours and the bears were enjoying their new mattress! As the snow continues to build over the next few days the bears will spend an increasing amount of time sleeping inside. Once we are sure they are spending most of the day inside the den we will close the outer door to their 'bear hotel' and they will spend the winter inside.

Here are a few screen shots of the bed making activity from our infrared cameras inside the den - remember it's pitch black in there!

An Empty Den

Grinder checking out the den.

The first few branches are dragged in.

Testing out the first branches.

Time for more!

A view of the new mattress.

Coola and Grinder test it out together.

Ahhhh perfect!

Bears ready for hibernation!

Grinder and Coola are now inhabiting their hibernation habitat around their bear den. Both bears are super plump and have put on more weight than in previous years - maybe this is a sign of a long and cold winter to come?

They are spending their days laying around with the occasional foray to eat, although food is being left behind each day which is a sign that the bears are happy with their weight and feel prepared for the upcoming winter.

Yesterday we provided them with a huge mound of Silver-fir branches which they will drag into their sleeping quarters and use to create a mattress of branches for their long winter sleeps. As of this morning they have not begun to create a bed but it shouldn't be far off as we received a few inches of fresh snow today.

After we've received our first significant snow fall we will cut off food and this lack of food, combined with short days and cold, snowy, weather will trigger hibernation.

Here are a few shots of Grinder lounging around the hibernation habitat!