Bears Enter 24th Hibernation on Grouse Mountain
Posted by Devin Manky December 6, 2024
A couple weeks ago, on November 20th, 2024, Grinder and Coola entered their 24th winter dormancy/hibernation period here at the Wildlife Refuge.
The bears first arrived here back in 2001 after being orphaned in the wilds of BC. They spent the last couple months bulking up on fish and proteins to help them prepare for their big sleep. Then, as our first big snowfall came down, they slowed down their activities and preferred to spend most of their time
sleeping in their den where they had prepared a bed of branches and straw ahead of time.
Before going into the den, their final weights of the year were: Grinder - 960lbs and Coola - 1015lbs. This represents about a 20% increase over their summer weights and provides a resource for them to live off of during the months in the winter den.
Be sure to follow along with their hibernation camera inside their den!
