How Much Do You Think Bears Need To Eat To Bulk Up Before Hibernation?

click to expand

(CBS4)- Do you know how much bears need to eat to bulk up before hibernation? According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, during late summer and early fall, bears need 20,000 calories a day to gain enough fat to survive the winter without eating or drinking.

(credit: Colorado Parks and Wildlife)

CPW took some pictures of bear cubs in rehabilitation at Wet Mountain Wildlife Rehab in Wetmore as they were enjoying a hearty snack. Officers say this time of year, it's basically a feeding frenzy for 20 hours a day.

(credit: Colorado Parks and Wildlife)

More than 90% of a bear's natural diet is grasses, berries, fruits, nuts and plants. The rest is primarily insects and scavenged carcasses.

CPW said bears have a nose that's 100 times more sensitive than ours, which means that a bear can literally smell food five miles away!

(credit: Colorado Parks and Wildlife)

Learn to be Bear Aware with a special education section on CPW's website which has some other fun facts about bears and how humans can coexist with bears in Colorado.