Why you may see bears active in January

A story submitted by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Where do the bears go when it gets cold? They go to sleep! Well… most of the time.

While American black bears do sleep during the winter, they aren’t considered true hibernators. Instead, they enter a lighter state of rest called torpor. Torpor is a state of hibernation, just less intense with a few differences.

Here’s how torpor compares to true hibernation:

Similarities

•  Like true hibernators, black bears don’t eat, drink, urinate, or defecate while in torpor.
• Both torpor and true hibernation occur in winter, when food is scarce.
• In both states, body temperature drops, and breathing, heart rate, and metabolism slow down.

Differences

• True hibernators drop their body temperature dramatically, but black bears only lower theirs by 10–15°F.
• Black bears can wake up if disturbed or during warmer winter spells.
• Some animals, like hummingbirds, only enter torpor for the night, while true hibernation usually lasts for months.

Black bears usually den in hollow stumps, tree cavities, or under rock ledges. But in the Smokies, they’re unique — they often den high above ground in standing hollow trees!

Want to learn more about black bears? Check out our website: https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/nature/black-bears.htm

NPS Photo: A bear under anesthesia lies blindfolded to reduce visual stimulation during a den visit by park rangers, who are replacing the battery in her GPS collar during the winter. Her cub can be seen hiding in the background.