With the start of 2012, the bears at Bear Mountain have gone into full winter mode and are sleeping peacefully today.

Hirotake, who was showing resistance until the end by opening the vent cover, has become calmer over the past week and is sleeping well (^^)

Now, I've talked about brown bears' winter confinement before, but they don't go into a state of suspended animation or stay asleep until spring, but depending on the time of day, they lick the ice or play around with their bedding.

Therefore, keepers check the straw every day, and if the straw is dirty or damp, the bears are taken out of the cage and replaced.

Today we worked on replacing the straw in Kota's room.

It's been a long time since I last saw Kota in the open, but he didn't seem to have lost any weight and seemed to be having a good winter confinement.

Kouta's bed.

It's a bit messy and completely flattened (lol)

This is a block of ice left for hydration.

It is approximately 50cm x 30cm, and the missing part is the mark where Kota licked it.

Some bears are Garigari-kun.

We welcome Kota with a beautiful straw.

I was a little wary, but after this I went in easily and played with the straw to make it easier for myself to sleep.