Did you know Black bears don’t really go into hibernation?
Black bears spend their winter days in dens to avoid the extreme cold. Inside, they go into what we call “torpor,” or a long winter’s sleep.
The difference between torpor and hibernation is that they may need to wake up and even leave their dens to search for food during the long winter days.
A piece of logging equipment startled a mother bear, mid-torpor. She was so scared that she fled.
In terror, she abandoned her newborn cub.
Female black bears give birth to their young in their dens and are called cubs. Their birth weight should be around 8 ounces.
These adorable cubs are born blind and with only a thin layer of fur.
They need their mother to nurse, so when the mama bear left her cub, the poor baby bear was left scared, hungry, and cold.
This is where Black Bear Rescue Manitoba comes in. They rescued the black bear cub and named him Casper.
When they first got Casper, he couldn’t even stand up or even crawl. He would tip over because he couldn’t balance his body weight with his head.
Like human babies, baby bears would first learn how to crawl before learning how to walk.
The rescuers would put Casper on the floor to have his tummy time, like what we do with our babies.
Tummy time strengthens the neck and shoulder muscles, making it easier for the cubs to learn how to crawl and walk.
Soon, Casper started learning how to stand on his own. He would take one step and then fall down again.
After many days of practice, finally, little Casper learned how to walk.
After a month, it was time to introduce Casper to Dudley, a fellow black bear cub.
When they first met, Casper wasn’t really accommodating.
Dudley was seen bringing his toys and blanket over to where Casper was, asking him to play.
Next, it was time for the cubs to see the outside world. They introduced Casper to the outdoors first.
For a few days, he was just outside alone, exploring everything he sees.
Casper would sniff everything, touch them, climb, and even play in the water. It was a big playground for the cub and he enjoyed it so much.
After a week, Dudley joined Casper.
One time, the rescuers checked their cameras and saw the two cubs wrestling and playing.
They bonded at last!
From then on, they became best friends. They did everything together, and their favorite pastime was swimming.
Seeing Dudley and Casper would sit on the treetop, enjoying the breeze.
Because of their love for each other, the rescue center released the cubs together.
The clip showed two rescuers opening the door of their cages and allowing them to run free into the forest.
Casper gave one last glance to the people who saved his life before running with his best friend.
That was the last time the rescuers saw the two bears that they have learned to love.
Watch their adorable story below.
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