While vacationing in Alaska, I couldn't help but notice all the warnings about bears posted in campgrounds, visitor centers and rest areas advising people not to feed the bears, how to avoid bears, what to do if a bear sees you, what to do if a bear attacks, and so on.
My favorite, however, was a hand-lettered sign on the door of a small gas station in a remote area. It said: "Warning! If you are being chased by a bear, don't come in here!"
How deeply do bears sleep when in hibernation?
Surprisingly, the bear's sleep is relatively light and he can be awakened by even a small disturbance. (Remember that if you think about going into a bear's den in winter.) Their hibernation might be better thought of as very long naps -- a bear can doze for weeks at a time -- than a single unbroken sleep. Here's the real shocker, though. Black bears give birth to one to four cubs during hibernation, generally in January or February. The young cubs are born weighing less than a pound and are nourished by their slumbering mother's milk. By the time spring comes, they may weigh as much as eight pounds.
