Is Hyperphagia Over? - Appalachian Bear Rescue

Ever since early August we have talked about hyperphagia, the “feeding frenzy” that affects all bears in late summer through fall, and causes them to eat vast quantities of food, to prepare their bodies for the winter season when they will not be eating at all. It seems that hyperphagia is coming to an end and the bears are winding down. They aren’t eating as much these days, and they are sleeping, napping, resting more. This is to prepare their bodies for the long sleep to come.

Gradually, the curators will provide less and less food for foraging, since this is what happens in the wild – there is less food available. We expect that all of the cubs and yearlings will be back in the wild in time to find their own dens and spend the winter in their home territories.

A rare photo that captures all eight of the cubs in Wild Enclosure #1. They aren’t through eating yet, as you can see.

The Rainbow Triplets were foraging a bit in between their wrestling matches.

Yearlings Dahlia and Mulberry were sleeping soundly on their platform.

The two yearlings entered the Acclimation Pen to have their breakfast.

The cubs in Wild Enclosure #2 slept in a big, furry pile.

It was almost 9:00 when those lazy cubs started to wake up.

In the Hartley House, Raven slept amid the wreckage of her “exploded bed.” How do you suppose the bed exploded like that? Can you guess?

We’ll keep watching the bears as they continue to gradually dial back their activity levels. It makes for an interesting story.