The park is absolutely inaccessible during business hours. At this time of year, when the bears are not being released, they work during the day to prepare for the opening, so you can walk around the park in the flesh without getting in a car. Even if you know that there are no brown bears, it is kind of scary. By the way, when I was walking in front of Bare Point with the feeling of a brown bear, I found a brown bear's hair on a standing tree ( ̄ ー "+")! !! There was loose hair stuck in the skin of the tree. If you look closely, it looks like a blonde, doesn't it? And which bear? Even the breeding staff, who can be identified by the shape of the hind appearance and tail, cannot judge which individual is just by looking at the shedding hair (^^;;

The ski resort closed yesterday (4/5). This year, we have been blessed with snow since February, and there is still plenty of snow today when it is closed. However, the snow is melting around the Sahoro Resort Hotel, which is only about 700 meters away, and the ground of the park golf course is beginning to appear. "Fukinotou" began to emerge from the soil. When the cat willow swells and the butterbur becomes noticeable, you will feel [spring]. Now, the brown bears are steadily preparing for the opening on the 29th, and they are spending their time doing health checkups after winter and attaching GPS transmitters. The bears in their fourth year of Sahoro may be thinking, "I want to eat wild vegetables in spring as soon as possible" (!?) I can't.

The bears seem to have woken up from their winter sleep and their physical condition has gradually returned. Today, I put Santa, who woke up the first of the 18 animals, out in the sub-paddock (playground). Santa is very excited about the outside world for the first time in a long time! I was full of energy, running around in the snow and rubbing my back. It's hard to believe that I've been sleeping in the winter for about three months. 　Run, run!! 　I play with it crazy on the branches of the tree The hind legs that I saw a little bit are cute After Santa runs around ... [Breeding: Ito]

As mentioned in the recent Bear Mountain report, brown bears are slowly starting to wake up. From the awakened brown bear, we began to feed it in preparation for the upcoming active season. Brown bears have been fasting for about three months, so it seems that their internal organs are not working well immediately after waking up. Therefore, so that the internal organs do not freak out, at first they are given a small amount of pellets for bears soaked in hot water. After that, while watching the brown bear, gradually increase the amount and type of food. Food is put in using a shovel from the feeding port attached to the brown bears' private room. Brown bears that detect the smell of food will come to the front of the feeding port to see if they want food. Therefore, we always work in pairs of two, with a person who feeds with a shovel and a person who drives away brown bears with an iron bar. You can quickly put the food in while watching the brown bear, but it is difficult because even one way of moving the shovel can be put in or not depending on the angle and speed. I'm clumsy, and I'm struggling with the advice of a senior zookeeper. 【Breeding Nakasuji】

There is a day called Enlightenment in the calendar. This year, March 5 was the day of enlightenment. The word "enlightenment" means that insects that have been wintering in the ground feel the arrival of spring and crawl out to the ground. By the way, the brown bears of Bear Mountain have also tried to "stay in winter", and three months have passed at the earliest. Until now, the brown bears have been sleeping calmly on the straw, but recently they seem to be moving their bodies and somehow restless and soothing. It was March 5th when I started to feel such a thing. As usual, I went up to the roof of the brown bear house and counted my breathing rate, and I heard a metallic sound behind me. I had a similar experience last year, and I thought, "No way," and when I looked back, the lid of the ventilation vent started to move, and the bear's forelimbs came out. The youngest Santa, an 8-year-old male, stood up and opened the ventilation opening. Also, when observing the bear in the animal barn, I noticed the keeper and approached with a firm step in front of the door. It moves so well that it is hard to believe that it has slept without eating for three months, and I am once again amazed at the strength of the brown bear's vitality. On March 11, TV news reported that a wild brown bear appeared in a private house in Shari Town and ate "Takuan". From this news, I wondered if the time when wild brown bears and "artificial wintering" brown bears in captivity wake up at the same time. From this, if it is assumed that the completion of artificial wintering by brown bears in captivity coincides with the start of activity of wild brown bears, it may be possible to predict the activity of wild brown bears by looking at the movements of artificial wintering individuals, although it is a hypothesis. If you do so, I think it will be possible to inform those who are climbing in the spring or entering the mountains in advance of cautionary information. Bear Mountain is conducting an "artificial winter" with a large number of animals. The observation data may be used for various things [Breeding Kurokawa]

Yesterday, we started snow removal in the park in preparation for the opening on 4/29. Compared to last year, there was about 60 cm more snow, so we started snow removal from the bear watching bus road. The snow is cleared wide enough for one car to pass through. It took me two days to finally make one lap. And another snowplow team is attacking the promenade course. Snow removal of the most difficult part of the day, the entrance slope. I took a picture on the way. It is piled up to the same height as the 176 cm tall member, if not more. Snow removal has only just begun, but we aim to continue until the end of March. (Facility: Hisai)

From the window of the lift ticket office where I am, I can see Sarah and Moko well. Gently "hide and shoot" (^3^) so that you don't wake up with the sound of opening the window. Moko-san, I'm sleeping... I don't want my stomach to get cold, so the blanket looks warm! Hah! ( ゚△ ゚;) Σ I woke up! Dreams, again...　Does it feel good to sleep with your face out? After playing with the engine at full throttle ★ in the morning and evening walks, I usually relax like this. The customers who come often seem to be "friends"? I am aware that I am wagging my tail to greet you. Even when I was updating this blog, I was (^^) in a dream [Ito]

Rice straw is raked, carried with the mouth, and chewed to soften it to make a bed. It's dark and hard to see, but keep an eye out and watch them chew on it.

This is great news for zookeepers and customers alike. Bear Mountain's annual passport is finally born! Since its opening in 2006, the "Annual Passport" has been requested by many customers. It was born in response to happy opinions such as never getting tired of watching it, wanting to come back to see it many times during the season, and being able to see the ecology of bears that was different from the last time I came (>▽<) I want more people to see and feel the behavior of bears that change with the seasons. We zookeepers also hope that the passport will create an opportunity for that. Spring Bears munching on green grass. Often eat butterbur and clover. Early summer estrus season. There will be a lot of back rubbing and flaunting behavior. Summer: Bears who are hungry for the heat. Can you find them napping or bathing in the shade of a tree?! Autumn Autumn of appetite! At salmon events, salmon are chased vigorously. The bears are full and have a satisfied expression. You may even be able to witness a glimpse that even zookeepers rarely see. The way they climb trees and play with each other is hilarious, and the tense atmosphere when incompatible bears meet each other is also conveyed and overwhelming. Please come and see the bears of Sahoro with your passport!　　【Ito】 ★ For more information about the Annual Passport, please see "Latest News".

One of the zookeeper's jobs is to walk Sara and Moco. As expected of the director! It fits perfectly under your feet and is well-trained. ...There's a reason for this. Sara and Moco are playing happily while taking a walk. They will run as fast as they can to far away places, but no matter how far they get away, when you call their name they will happily come back. She begged the principal because she would receive a reward when she returned. Sarah and Moco are usually next to the lift ticket office at the ski resort. Moko is friendly, so she shows affection to the guests and asks them to play with her, but Sarah hides in the hut and doesn't come out. But maybe I really want you to play with me! ? Take a look at Sarah, who runs around very energetically during walks. Sarah is in the back. The rear view in the foreground is moco. Close the gap... When Sarah approaches, run away in a dash!≡≡≡He(*–)ノ It was too fast and I got a blur... Sarah runs with her nostrils fully inflated. She's a completely different dog than the one hiding in the shed ☆

Around 9:30, we headed towards the bear house along the path through the forest. The purpose is to observe and record the behavior of bears during their "winter hiatus." The observation begins by counting the bear's breathing rate. The method is to count the number of breaths by placing your ear against the handle of the ventilation hole installed in each room on the roof of the bear house. When the zookeeper separated the animals and pressed their ears against the metal handles to listen to their breathing rates in the cold wind, it was so cold that they lost sensation in their ears. In addition, it takes skill and experience to be able to hear only the sounds of breathing when the sound of the wind is interfering. Around 10:15am: Inside the bear enclosure, which has been cut off from light, teams of two will use flashlights to observe the bears, their bedrooms, straw and nests, and the presence or absence of ice. This series of tasks is absolutely indispensable in order to successfully complete the winter hiatus. 11:00 Cleaning the goat shed We have two female goats, ``Yuki-chan'' and ``Atsuko.'' 11:50 Sara and Moco urinate. 13:00 Enter bear observation data from the morning. We will carefully enter our observations into the computer, as they will be valuable data for elucidating ``winter confinement.'' 14:00 I go to the bear house to count the number of breaths. 15:00 Idol dog walk No matter how strong the wind is or how much snow falls, the dog runs around happily in the snow. 16:00 We will enter bear observation data in the afternoon and have a meeting at the end of the day. The final task of breeding is for the dog to urinate after dinner. 17:00 Leaving work! ! This was a one-day introduction to breeding work. Some of the breeding staff also work at ski resorts, so if you would like to hear about bears, please feel free to ask them. [Breeding Miyano/Kurokawa]

Hello. Today I would like to introduce a day in the life of a winter zookeeper. 8:00 We have a meeting to discuss today's work schedule and the status of the bears from the previous day. The day starts around 8:10 with a walk of the huskies "Sarah" and "Moko". Since he is a large dog, he takes time to exercise. After the walk, we disassemble and clean the sleeping cages (we also disinfect them to prevent illness). After breakfast, we move to the ticket office to greet skiers. Now she is the idol of my workplace and customers. ...Continue to part 2 [Breeding Miyano/Kurokawa]

He is using his forelimbs to knead the rice straw that has been replenished to make it soft. The rice straw is carefully raked down to make a bed.

Zookeeper job quiz. This is a review. Q: How do you put rice straw into the bear's room for sleeping? 1. Bears in winter move slowly, so replenish at Mach speed. 2. Wake up the sleeping bear and take it out of the room to replenish. 3. Replenish through the ventilation hole in the ceiling. 4. Remove the blinds and replenish from between the iron bars. Well, the correct answer was... 3. Refill from the ventilation hole in the ceiling. Did everyone get it right? There is a ventilation hole on the roof (ceiling) of the bear house, and rice straw is replenished through this small hole. Even zookeepers try to avoid entering bear enclosures as much as possible. No matter how slow the bears are, you won't be able to get close to them (;゜(E)゜) We make various beds for each individual, such as softening straight rice straw or tearing it into small pieces. (The photo shows a dogfish)

Keepers have a lot of work to do while the brown bears are hibernating for the winter. One way to do this is to feed each bear rice straw so that they can sleep soundly, but here's the problem! Q. How do you put rice straw into the bear's room for sleeping? Please choose from the following four options. 1. Bears in winter move slowly, so replenish at Mach speed. 2. Wake up the sleeping bear and take it out of the room to replenish. 3. Refill from the ventilation hole on the ceiling. 4. Remove the blinds and refill from between the iron bars. This Bear Mountain News is a continuation of the quiz, and I will post the correct answers later, so please look forward to it ヾ(*゜ー゜)ノ

What kind of animal did you imagine in the last footprint quiz? The first photo was the footprints of a red fox. A wonderful straight line! It's so eye-catching to see him walking with light feet (^^) The second photo is a snow rabbit! Did you notice that there are large footprints (hind legs) next to small footprints (front legs)? These large hind legs act as snowshoes, allowing them to walk quickly on snowy fields. I remember what I learned when I was little by looking at footprints in the fields and playing quizzes with my grandfather. This is the time when footprints are easy to find, so please have fun with the footprint quiz with your friends and family! [Ito]

In the morning, as I was walking along the path through the forest toward the bear house, I came across footprints of various animals. Now, everyone, who is the owner of these footprints? ! (Hint) Footprints extending in a straight line on the snow. She is adorable and popular. Kenkenpa, Kenkenpa, whose footprints belong to this? 　 ★The correct answer will be announced in the next blog★ You can also see the footprints of Ezo deer around Sahoro. During the winter when food is scarce, animals struggle to survive. All living creatures, including those that hibernate in the winter like brown bears and those that remain active during the winter, are all working hard to survive. I hope the owners of the footprints left in the snow field can make it through the winter safely! [Ito]

It's already been a week since 2009 started. The cold days are continuing, but are you sure you haven't caught a cold? In the wild, brown bears collect bamboo, dead leaves, twigs, etc. in their ``wintering holes'' and make beds with them. This will also help protect you from getting cold from the ground and from getting wet from direct contact with water. Bear's wisdom for spending a comfortable winter stay is impressive. At Bear Mountain, where a large number of animals are kept in artificial winter shelter, it is impossible to collect a winter's worth of dead leaves and twigs, so rice straw is used for bedding. Therefore, we try giving one or two bundles to the bears whose normal movements have become slow. Then, they each carefully gathered up a piece of straw that was scattered around the bedroom with both hands, put it in their mouths and chewed it up briefly, and kneaded it with both hands to make it soft.Each of them created their own bedding in their own way and began to sleep on it. Individuality can also be seen in the location and shape of their beds. → By the way, bears who are not ready to stay in the winter will scatter straw all over the room and make a mess. In the natural world, it is said that one of the factors that causes ``winter confinement'' is a drop in temperature and snowfall, but when it comes to ``artificial winter confinement'', bedding may also be involved. The reason why I felt this way was that even though the bear was pounding on the chute door and had no signs of going into winter hibernation, I gave it some bedding to try out, and it immediately started making a bed and sleeping on it. Also, this may be said because the behavior of knocking on the door has disappeared. At Bear Mountain, we are now preparing for a full-fledged winter retreat. [Ito] (Bonus) Experience the comfort of the bed and see the back of a certain zookeeper!

happy new year. It's a bit windy today at Sahoro, but we're celebrating New Year's Day with blue skies. Now, in mid-December, before the winter hibernation, we gave her a ``Kagami-mochi'' homemade by the breeding staff, following the Christmas cake. After viewing the exhibit (after confirming the object), the brown bears immediately held Kagami-biraki and ate fruit-filled ice cubes shaped like rice cakes for an early New Year's event. We hope that 2009 will be a good year for everyone, and we hope that many of you will come to Bear Mountain and meet us. Thank you for your continued support this year.

There is a theory that brown bears in the wild go into ``winter hiatus'' due to a combination of the accumulation of snow, their inability to find food, and their hunger, as well as the drop in outside temperature. In order to prove this, even at Bear Mountain we have periods where we do not feed the animals. We were also worried that the continued warm days would affect the animals' ability to stay in the winter, but due to the effects of low pressure over the past few days, the outside temperature has dropped significantly, and even inside the animal enclosure, the temperature has dropped to -5 degrees Celsius, creating the conditions for the animals to stay in the winter. In nature, their winter burrows are earthen holes or rock holes on mountain slopes, and in rare cases tree cavities are also used. So the other day, I installed blinds (using a control panel) on the iron bars in the animal enclosure bedroom to make the room darker so the bears could sleep calmly. 　→　 It also has a small peephole so you can observe the sleeping bear. 　→　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　“What are you doing?” I also wanted to feel like a bear, so when I entered the room, it was dim and unexpectedly quiet, like a different world isolated from the outside world. ``I can't believe I'll spend the next few months sleeping...'' I was once again impressed by the amazing abilities of brown bears. Before the blinds were installed, the bears were fidgety and restless when zookeepers entered the enclosure, but after the blinds were installed, some of the bears began to calm down. Continued from ~Wara Edition~ [Ito]

Siberian huskies Sarah (1 year old female) and Moko (8 months old) have become mascots for visitors to the ski resort. Sarah has a brave face but a kind personality. Moko is still a spoiled naughty girl and always follows Sarah around saying, ``Let's play, let's play!'' 　 Sara and Moco's favorite thing to do is go for a walk. They especially seem happy when walking on snowy days, scattering powdered snow and jumping around, and playing around with each other while being covered in snow. So I tried chasing him, but I couldn't keep up with him. （＾＾；） 　 　 Sarah and Moco are still a little ``shy'' at times, but they are popular with the children and are often stroked and called by their names. I'll be at the lift ticket office every day, so if you see me, please say hi! [Ito]

Brown bears are currently in the preparation stage for hibernation. Gradually reduce the amount of food you give your pet, including fasting days (no food). What causes bears to go into winter confinement in the first place? Is it the temperature? Is it snowing? Are you starving due to lack of food? There are various theories, but there are still many things we don't understand. Therefore, Bear Mountain has been conducting ``artificial hibernation in large numbers'' for the past two years. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the mechanism behind brown bears' winter confinement and help preserve brown bears in the future. A difficult story aside, the bears are scheduled to go into ``winter hiatus'' in late December. I might be in a deep sleep around Christmas... We planned this event with the hope that the bears would be able to enjoy a delicious feast by preparing early presents. A cake filled with fruits specially made by the zookeeper! （＾▽＾）/ The base is ice filled with my favorite apples and carrots, and a cake is placed on top. I made it with all my heart, but I wonder if they will enjoy it! As a representative of the 18 animals, we decided to have Santa, the youngest male, eat the food. Of course, I also shared some fruit with the other bears. Let me tell you how Santa is doing. Santa went out to the sub-paddock and was sniffing around the trees without noticing the cake that was placed in the center, but when he suddenly noticed the cake in the center, he slowly approached it and asked, ``What is that?'' Santa's personality is to be cautious when he discovers something new! I sniffed a bit and took a bite of the decorated apple...I copied the cake! As if thinking, ``This is delicious,'' he started eating, making puff-puffing noises and moving his mouth vigorously. After finishing the cake, she bit into the ice and ended up playing with it on her stomach. I hope all the bears were happy with the early Christmas present! I hope this will help you sleep and have good dreams. [Ito]

This year, the temperatures are high, and the bears are in good spirits, with no signs of sleeping much (winter confinement). Until I fell asleep, I said, ``I want to go outside, please let me out quickly!'' ” and are knocking on the door to appeal. I made some toys for the bears who look bored even when they go outside in the snow. ←It is made by connecting two rings with a string. As soon as I threw it to him, he started playing with it, as expected of a playful Santa! Santa is a very active bear (^-^) He also purrs! It was worth making this game to have so much fun playing it. I'm looking forward to having a ``hippikiko'' with someone next time. ...Please don't fight (lol) [Keeping Kurokawa]

I've been working at the ski resort for about a week now. Today I went to the animal shelter for the first time in a while to see how the bears were doing. When I went there, the bears were in the sub-paddock during the period when they were being housed, and they were waiting for the preparations to be made, shouting, "Hurry up! Dinner!" Inuo! long time no see! I messed with the joiner who was first in line, and he got mad at me, so I rubbed his back as if I wasn't going to lose. Lionmaru! You are peaceful. The bears' bodies are dirty because they were lying in the mud before the snow fell. I would like to wash them, but their fur will freeze at this temperature (^^;) However, even if we continue into winter, there are some individuals whose fur will become shiny in the spring. I wonder if the dirt can be removed by rubbing it against the bedding? Or do we experience physiological changes when we stay in the winter? It's difficult for humans, who don't have the ability to stay in the winter, to figure out what's going on. The bears have now passed their feeding period and are gradually reducing their food intake. As soon as I reduced the amount of beets (used as a raw material for sugar and is widely cultivated in the Tokachi region) that was mixed in with the dog's food, his stools became loose, so I reviewed the contents of his food and adjusted the amount of beets. Then, it turned out to be a good flight. Changing just one type of food can make such a big difference. Despite their large bodies, they are actually very delicate creatures. ←Food for 18 bears While I was visiting the bears, Sara and Moko were waiting for me. 　　←Atsuko and Yuki are doing well♪ [Ito]