Bears are coming out of hibernation more than a month early after one of the hottest winters in human history
- Bears in Russia, Finland, and New England have come out of hibernation early
- Researchers believe the record high winter temperatures have woken the bears
- In some parts of Siberia, bears never started hibernation as temperatures hovered in the mid-50-degrees Farenheit
Bears all over the world are coming out of hibernation more than a month ahead of schedule after one of the hottest winters in human history.
Moscow Zoo CEO Svetlana Akulova announced the zoo was making preparations for two Himalayan bears held in captivity at the zoo to come out of hibernation more than a month earlier than the April window they had been expecting.
The zoo staff had begun around the clock monitoring of the bears in February and noticed they were much more actively astir than normal, indicating they were ready to come out of full hibernation.
In Vermont and New Hampshire there have been multiple sightings of bears coming out of hibernation more than a month earlier than is typical, something researchers attribute to warmer temperatures
‘Our zoologists were preparing for the bears to wake up earlier due to the abnormally warm winter, ’Akulova said, in a statement reported by The Moscow Times.
To avoid shocking the bears’ digestive systems, the zoo prepared a steady range of small meals.
The bears will indulge in frequent but low calorie meals of apples, pears, salad, vegetables, while staple ingredients like honey, fish, and nuts will be gradually added to the mix.
Similar reports of bears coming out of hibernation early have come from other regions in Russia, and from all over the world.
In Voronezh, the city zoo’s resident brown bear Masha woke up a month ahead of schedule after zoo workers noticed her hibernation state was unusually light and she was more sensitive to sounds than normal.
Something similar happened with two brown bears at the Korkesaari Zoo in Helsinki, Finland, who woke in mid-February after just two months of hibernation.
The Moscow Zoo’s two resident Himalayan bears showed signs they were ready to come out of hibernation as early as February, and they fully work in early March, more than a month ahead of the expected April window they would normally have come out in
Depending on the species, bears typically hibernate for around four or five months a year, though some can go for as long as eight months.
In New Hampshire, bear researchers said there had been multiple bear sightings as early as February.
‘We have a lot less snow this winter, and temperatures have been higher than normal, making it even more tempting for bears to wake up and seek a snack,’ Andy Timmins, a biologist with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, told the New Hampshire Union Leader.
To avoid shocking the bears systems, staff at the Moscow Zoo prepared a steady diet of small, low calorie meals for the bears, comprised of apples, pears, salad and more, while slowly adding in staple foods like fish and nuts
In some regions, this winter has been so warm, local bears never even started hibernation.
Several bears kept in captivity at Bolsherechensky Zoo in Omsk, Siberia were still awake in December, as local temperatures hovered in the mid-50 degrees Farenheit.
Typically, bears won’t begin hibernating until the temperature drops below at least 50 degrees Farenheit.
