Being a Bear

 Oh, to be a bear.

There is a reason why grizzly bears and black bears hibernate. I mean, who wouldn't enjoy stuffing one's face, packing on as many calories as possible, and then crawling into a dark, quiet cave and sleeping the winter away? 

Then, when spring arrives, they crawl out of the cave with a much thinner body, ready to start eating again. Bears to into such a deep sleep during hibernation that they won't eat or drink anything for four to six months.

And what a great way to give birth to a couple of baby bears, during hibernation, although mama bear doesn't, as commonly believed, sleep through the entire process. The mama bear is awake to give birth and to care for her cubs.

The baby bears stay very close to mama until it's time to emerge from hibernation. Then it's game on as the cubs frequently wander as they explore their big, new world.

Of course, being a bear in Alaska isn't such a good thing. Mighty hunters are allowed to slaughter hibernating bears in that state as a way to 'manage' the bear population.

I think bears have come up with a great way to survive the long, cold, dark winters.