KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Spring is approaching, quickly coming as the calendar flips over to March. The end of winter will mark the timeframe when many bears emerge from their slumber and start venturing back into the world.
Most of the bears that leave their dens in March are full-grown males that did not den well when winter started. Officials with Bearwise said they could have been injured or freezing when they decided to start denning, causing them not to den up in the best conditions.
Some bears can also temporarily leave their dens and take a short walk around their areas before going back to sleep. Officials said this helps rest "the bear snooze alarm," getting them ready to wake up for good later.
Several black bear cubs will also celebrate their first birthday with their mothers. These families spent the winter denned together, and most mothers can rest with two or three half-grown cubs in a single den. The yearlings most live off their fat reserves just like adult bears, instead of hunting for food.
These families will usually stay together until the end of May or early June when cubs will move out and start living on their own.
The thick paw pads on most bears also slough off during the winter, regrowing with fresh new pads. Their feet tend to be relatively flat, and the fresh new pads help bears prepare to hunt for food when they completely emerge from hibernation.