Bears refuse to hibernate

TWO young bears in the Pyrenées are refusing to go into hibernation.

Keepers at the Parc'Ours, in Borce in Pyrénées-Atlantiques have noticed that six-year-old Diego and Groseille are still carrying out day to day activities, despite their parents hibernating.

The director of the association Pays de l'Ours-Adet, Alain Reynes, said their behaviour was not alarming, and that hibernation was not the result of a biological clock.

“As long at the climatic conditions are favourable, and they can find food, bears will hold off going into hibernation. Taking into account the weather, their hibernation could be very late,” he said.

Over in Angles, still in the Pyrénées-Orientales, a bear was spotted wandering in woods on New Year’s Day.

Mr Reynes said there was a great variability of hibernation times, depending on age, sex and fat levels, with males spending less time asleep in the winter.

The group of 30 or so bears and cubs have moved away from their summer feeding grounds, where park keepers can watch them on cameras.

He added that further snow and cold weather would likely force any remaining bears who were still outside to find warmth and shelter for the rest of the winter.

The bear section of the Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage captured this footage of the animals in November last year.