Bern's Bear Park

Welcome to day two. B is for the bears at Bern's bear park. Switzerland's capital Bern’s mascot is a bear, and therefore Bern has a bear park. When I was a kid it used to be a bear pit. 

The bears would walk around in circles on concrete floor, and visitors would throw down carrots and other treats. In 2001 they opened was today is the bear park. The entire land between the former pit and the Aare (the river flowing through the city of Bern) can now be explored by the three bears.

They enjoy roaming through grass, bushes and forest, which is great for them, certainly more animal friendly. On sunny days it proves hard to actually spot a bear because they like to retreat tino the woods enjoying the cool shadow.

Some bear facts: The brown bear is a typical omnivore, but mainly a vegetarian: it eats berries, roots, fruit, buds, seeds and grass. It also feeds on insects and their larvae, and loves honey from wild bees. 

Bears occasionally prey on other animals, and from time to time it will prey on unprotected grazing animals such as sheep and cattle, and does not disdain the carcasses of fallen game.

Outside the breeding season (mating happens May-June), brown bears live solitary lives in fixed but not exclusively used roaming areas. After a gestation period of 7-8 months, the female bear gives birth to 2-3 cubs, each weighing approx. 300 grams (0.66 pound), in a den she has dug herself. 

The cubs are blind at birth, only open their eyes after about 4 weeks and are suckled for 4 months. The female bear leads her cubs for two to three years, during which time she strictly avoids males. The cubs learn all the skills they need to survive from their mother. 

After this time, the cubs roam around until they reach sexual maturity, which is at 3-4 years of age. A female can give birth up to 10 times. The brown bear can live to be 30 years old if left in care.

These days in early April, the bears' hibernation in the bear park is coming to an end. Björk, Finn and Ursina - that's what they're called - show themselves outside their winter dens from time to time. They explore the surroundings, eat some grass and sniff each other or play with each other. The bears' appetite is still small, the three are still feeding on their reserves from the fall.

By the way, the bear park is located just beneath the rose garden from where the picture below was taken. I'll be talking more about it tomorrow.

PS: "Our" hockey team just eliminated the Bern Bears in the Swiss Championship's playoff's quarterfinals. We're now moving on playing against the Zurich Lions. Wish us luck!

Do you get to see bears near your home? Maybe even wild ones?

Let me know.