Every pet comes with quirks.
A pet bear, it’s fair to say, probably has more quirks than most. While most states explicitly ban people from keeping bears as pets, there are some states where it’s allowed with a permit—and others where it’s allowed with no permit necessary.
Bears are one of many unorthodox pets that some people in this country choose to keep. However, bears come with a specific issue: they tend to sleep for a significant portion of the year.
But is that really true? One bear owner says the reality is a bit more complicated. Here’s why.
How Does This Bear Owner Keep His Bear From Hibernating?
In a video with over 4.4 million views, TikTok user and bear owner Jeff “the Bear Man” Watson answers a common viewer question. Specifically, why don’t his bears hibernate in winter?
“I’ll tell you why. ‘Cause I look at him and go, ‘You can’t go to sleep! You cannot hibernate! ‘Cause I’m a bad, bad daddy!’” Watson jokes.
The real reason his bears don’t hibernate, he continues, is that they simply don’t have to.
“In the wild, a brown bear like this and a black bear in North America are primarily vegetarian animals,” he explains. “So, their food dies in the winter. They go into hibernation; they live off fat. They slow down their heart rate, slow the respiration down. … They live off that fat and wait until the food comes back in the spring.”
As Watson feeds his bears year-round, there’s never a period when their food supply disappears. Consequently, Watson claims that his bears simply do not need to hibernate.
“He’s got a bear daddy who gives him his food. That’s why he’s not hibernating,” he concludes. “It’s not necessary if food’s available.”
Is This True?
There are two main questions related to Watson’s video. First, are bears in North America primarily vegetarian? Second, can they just skip hibernation if there’s enough food around?
The answer to both those questions is, surprisingly, yes.
While we may think of them as ferocious animals, brown bears are omnivorous, with diets that skew mostly vegetarian. In the wild, the animal eats a large variety of fruits, berries, seeds, nuts, roots, and grass. When needed or easily accessible, they will eat small mammals, larger animals, or fish.
These food sources are abundant in warmer seasons. However, as temperatures drop, bears know to consume more calories so that they can hibernate and live off their fat.
Unless, as Watson notes, they don’t have to.
Does This Ever Happen In The Wild?
Unbelievably, the answer to this question is also yes.
San Diego animal sanctuary Lions, Tigers and Bears says that bears in warmer climates may hibernate for shorter periods than those in colder climates. In some cases, they may skip hibernation altogether.
Additionally, it should be noted that hibernation is not as simple as “a really long nap.” Bears will often wake up, shift around, and even occasionally leave their dens during hibernation if there is an issue.
Still, even if food is readily available, some bears will slow down and sleep more than usual during the typical hibernation season. It all depends on the environment—and, of course, on the bear.
Commenters Are Amazed
In the comments section, many users did not respond to the topic of the video. Instead, they looked on in disbelief at the man who somehow managed to keep a bear as a pet.
“Why do you look exactly like I think a man who had a bear should look like?” asked a user.
“I KNEW they could be pet, I KNEW it,” joked another.
“Other people out here just living my dreams,” wrote a third.
Still, some said that they had observed non-hibernating bears.
“Same reason the bears on Kodiak Island don’t hibernate,” offered a commenter. “The food is plentiful all year round.”
“It’s like in NC—it’s too warm here so black bears only hibernate for a month or so if that,” detailed a second. “We have world records for largest black bears in the wild because they eat all year round.”
BroBible reached out to Watson via email.