It's been a week since 2009 began.

It's been a cold day, but do you have a cold?

Wild brown bears collect bamboo, dead leaves, twigs, etc. in holes for "wintering" and lay them down to make a bed.

By doing this, it also plays a role in preventing the cold from the ground and the body from getting wet due to direct contact with water. I am impressed by the wisdom of bears for a comfortable "winter sleep".

At Bear Mountain, where "artificial winter sheltering by a large number of animals" is carried out, it is impossible to collect dead leaves and twigs for one winter, so rice straw is used for sleeping.

Therefore, for bears that have become sluggish, I will give 1-2 bundles on a trial basis. Then, each of them carefully raked up one of the straw straddled in the bedroom with both hands, put it in their mouths and chewed it shortly, rubbed it with both hands to soften it, and made their own bedding in their own way and began to sleep on it. There is also individuality in the location and shape of the bed.

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By the way, bears that are not in a state to stay in the winter will scatter straw all over the room and get dirty.

In the natural world, it is said that one of the factors that enter "winter sleep" is the drop in temperature and snow cover, but it may also be related to sleeping straw when it comes to "artificial winter sleep".

The reason why I felt this way was that the bear, which was banging on the chute door and had no sign of going into winter, was also given a sleeping straw to try out, and immediately began to make a bed and sleep on it. It may also be said that this is because the behavior of knocking on the door is gone.

At Bear Mountain, we are now working toward a full-fledged winter retreat.　[Ito]

(Bonus) Experience the comfort of sleeping in bed, the back view of a certain zookeeper!