The 6 cubs in the Wild Enclosure forage together.

This is the time of year when bears enter a feeding frenzy known scientifically as hyperphagia.  Our cubs are showing us that they, too, are programmed to eat and eat to get ready for their long winter’s sleep.  During this time, bears can spend 20 hours out of 24 eating, and can consume as many as 20,000 calories in a day!  To put that into perspective, a human would have to eat 38 Big Macs in order to consume 20,000 calories.  We have to be careful in our feeding now, because the cubs will eat as much as they can find.  Since they don’t have to search as hard as they would in the wild, it would be easy for them to put on too much weight and become obese.  That would not be a good thing.  When they are released, they need to have enough fat to get through the winter, but we want them to be healthy.  Here are some eating photos.  This is just about their only activity now – the days of play-fighting and wrestling are over as they all concentrate on eating.

Eating is important now.

Annie Bear is eating her share and growing.

Bears eat the nuts and leave the shells.

In the Acclimation Pen, Blossom and Buttercup are looking healthier.  They, too, are eating as much as they can.

Blossom and Buttercup prefer to be up high.

They hurry to get away when they hear the curator approach.