Sleeping Outside or In - Appalachian Bear Rescue

As we have posted recently, the three cubs who are overwintering at ABR have a choice of sleeping arrangements – they often sleep in the daybed that Jessamine made, but sometimes choose to enter the Acclimation Pen to sleep in the straw-filled loft. Sometimes bears can make choices that really puzzle us humans.

By 5:30 PM, the three cubs were asleep in the daybed.

The next morning, there was a terrific thunderstorm. The storm knocked out the security cams temporarily and the cubs had disappeared when the image resumed.

The storm would have prompted us to move inside, but we aren’t bears.

Found! The three cubs had climbed up on the platform and there they were, soaking wet, and sleeping in the rain.

The newest arrival, on the other hand, was safe and dry in his temperature controlled room in the Hartley House.

King B slept for a while on his bed in the Hartley House.

He rolled of the bed into the cedar chips on the floor.

Seems that he is a restless sleeper – he rolled further away from the bed.

We wonder if King B would be such an active sleeper if he were outside like the other cubs. They seem to be much quieter. However, it’s entirely possible that their long and quiet sleeping is due to the lack of food (remember, the curators have not been feeding them, to encourage their hibernation). They are sleeping 15-20 hours a day now. King B, who needs to eat and gain weight, is alternating between eating and periods of rest.