FEELING SNOOZY

Always ready to learn more about nature, Big Bore and I attended several national park programs while we were on vacation.  An enthusiastic retired science teacher told us all about the black bear, which roams Rocky Mountain National Park (not to be confused with the grizzly, which is common at Glacier NP).  Here are five fun facts about black bear hibernation habits:

1.  Before hibernation, the bear will consume about 20,000 calories per day.  That's equivalent to a human eating 17 Big Macs, 13 orders of large fries, and washing it all down with 3 milkshakes. Bring it on!

2. After stuffing themselves silly, and right before retiring for the big snooze, the bears start fasting except to eat pine cones to plug up their poop chutes, anal orifices, or whatever you want to call 'em. (Dr. Maureen, you might be of help here.) 

3.  In hibernation, a black bear breathes every 45 seconds. Or was that every 45 minutes? Or maybe every 45 days? Take your pick.

4. During hibernation, a black bear mama will wake up from her sleep long enough to give birth to her cubs.  She licks them clean and then goes right back to sleep and the babies nurse away. Let 'em take care of themselves.

5.  Black bear cubs weigh, on the average, one pound at birth. By age one, they average 60 pounds. If human babies gained weight at the same rate, a one-year-old would weigh 420 pounds. Put that in your diaper and think about it.  

Have a wonderful Monday!