Do black bears in Eastern Tenn hibernate?
“The bears do not really hibernate, they merely enter a stage of elongated deep sleep. If a bear is disturbed or if there is a stage of warmth the bears may come out of that sleep and leave the den for a short period of time.” http://www.cabinsforyou.com/gatlinburg_c… “Bears do not truly hibernate, but enter long periods of sleep. They may leave the den for short periods if disturbed or during brief warming trends.” http://www.nps.gov/grsm/naturescience/bl… “The American black bear may hibernate as much as 4 to 7 months, but it depends on the climate and the accessibility of food. Where the climate is temperate and a food supply is adequate they may not hibernate at all. Hibernation is their basic “defense” against starvation when food cannot be found.”
