picture? ! What does bear matchmaking do? You who thought...(@△@)／

There is also something called arranged marriage in the bear world.

Simply put, meeting someone you know is called ``Omiai''!

First, the bear is placed face-to-face in a limited space or cage, and the bear is made to recognize the other person through sight, smell, and hearing.

At this stage, zookeepers observe the bears' compatibility with each other.

Depending on the bear, the reaction varies, such as sniffing, banging on the door excitedly, making threatening sounds from its mouth, or simply falling asleep looking in a different direction as if it's not interested at all.

The matchmaking continues for several days while checking the compatibility between the bears.

(However, if there is poor compatibility, we may take several weeks to several months to arrange a match.)

Once the ``matchmaking'' is over, the next step is to have them live together (MIX) in the same space.

The most difficult decision is when transitioning from arranged marriage to MIX.

In case of a fight, Jeep is always on standby to intervene.

Currently, Santa from last year's Noboribetsu Bear Farm is meeting and mixing with old members of Bear Mountain. Santa, who is 8 years old, is a fast-moving bear who gives the impression of being young and energetic.

I finished the MIX with Hirotake and am currently doing the MIX with Koji.

We will also bring you the latest updates on MIX, so please look forward to it!

[Breeding: Ito]