Bears in the wild

Bears are generally solitary creatures, which only look for a partner for a brief period during mating season. The omnivorous animals spend up to 16 hours a day looking for food.

The offspring generally arrive in the winter months of December and January. A litter of bear cubs usually consists of between one and three cubs. The relationship between mother and child begins to loosen after two to three years. At this time, the mother becomes an attractive candidate for reproduction to her partner again. The young bear attains its full length at the age of about six, at eight years old the bear has achieved its full size.

Prior to hibernation in the winter months, brown bears decrease their energy consumption and develop reserves of fat to see them through the hibernation period. The body temperature sinks by five degrees Celsius and the heartbeat drops from forty beats per minute to just eight.