Watching this bear coming out of its den after hibernation will make you *really* sleepy
The manner in which humans wake up is well-documented. It usually involves half-opened eyes, messy hair, yawning, stretching, and maybe an expletive or two before hitting that godsend of a snooze button. Still, it’s far more fast-paced than a bear emerging from its den after hibernation. But if bears struggled to get a good night’s sleep like so many people do instead of indulging in six to seven months (!) of what sounds like the best sleep ever, odds are they would be a lot more tempted to crawl back in their cozy hole after snoozing.
So, how does it feel to wake up after spending half the year napping inside of a cave?
Well, according to this rare footage of a bear coming out of its hibernation cycle, it’s nearly impossible to hit the ground running. Hey, it takes time to readjust to simple activities like standing and moving when your body has grown accustomed to sleeping like a rock.
In a video shared by YouTube user Bowhuntingroad, a pair of trail cameras mounted near a Minnesota bear’s den show the massive, furry animal trying to get its bearings (ha) after coming out of deep-sleep mode in late February. For the first few days, the bear only pokes its head out and looks around its surroundings. Later, it attempts to stand on wobbly legs as its muscles gain strength. But for the most part, the bear lies around, rubbing and scratching itself.
In the end, it takes the bear an entire month to fully emerge from the den.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO3w8V7m2Fg?feature=oembed
Ahh, how wonderful it must feel to take your time waking up and moving around. People who truly love sleep will understand why we’re feeling a wee bit jealous of this bear at the moment.
