Eating Machines - Appalachian Bear Rescue

We have mentioned that this is the time of year when bears are in a state called hyperphagia, when eating becomes their primary pastime and they can eat as many as 20 hours a day to prepare for their winter sleep. The ABR cubs are definitely in hyperphagia now – remarkable since they have never been taught to overeat in the fall. It is simply an innate drive and the cubs are responding to the commands of their bodies. Eating has become serious business!

In Wild Enclosure 3, the four cubs gather together to forage.

After cleaning up in that corner, they move along the fence, foraging as they go.

The cubs eat their way across their enclosure.

Forty-five minutes later, they emerge from the underbrush, still eating as they go.

Over in Wild Enclosure #3, all six cubs were foraging at night, noses to the ground.

They are serious about packing on the pounds.

In the morning, they were still at it – eating whatever they could find.

All ten of the cubs are intent on gaining weight, as we can see. They will continue to eat and to chubbify until time for their release. How much rounder can they get? Stay tuned.