The three eleven-month-old cubs in Wild Enclosure #1 are slowing down. This is not surprising, since their bodies are getting ready for their first hibernation. When bears have gained sufficient weight to carry them through the months when they will not be eating, their metabolism slows gradually and their activity level slows a lot.
Rags and Scruffy are asleep in the daybed, but Phoenix goes to check out one of the Forbidden Trees. As you know, these trees, which are close to the fences, are wrapped with a slippery plastic to prevent cubs from climbing.
Scruffy and Rags sleep on the platform. Phoenix climbs a tree. This is about all the action we see from these cubs.
Scruffy doesn’t know where the other cubs have gone.
Usually, the three cubs sleep together on the daybed. They spend hours each day sleeping there.
But even when asleep, bears are alert to anything that might harm them. A strange noise in the middle of the night causes excitement and rouses them from their sleep.
Scruffy took off very quickly.
Phoenix was next, and Rags was left alone.
The three cubs scattered.
Phoenix climbed a tree.
Rags ran to hug this tree, in case he needed to climb fast.
They decided it wasn’t too scary after all, and went back to bed.
Scruffy simply stayed where he was. But later he did climb down to join the others in the daybed.
Such is the life of a bear nearing hibernation. Ho-hum!