Bears living at the Oakland Zoo have begun to emerge from their torpor season, an annual winter sleep similar to hibernation, keepers said on Friday, March 20.
This footage shows a pair of bears “waltzing” together in their enclosure in California’s Bay Area on Friday.
“Spring has arrived, and what more perfect way to celebrate than with a bear waltz!” the zoo said on X. “The bears are waking up out of torpor, so you’ll see them a lot more as the weather gets warmer!”
According to the Oakland Zoo, black bears, grizzly bears, and brown bears go into a deep sleep called torpor during the winter months. While hibernation typically lasts for longer periods of time and involves “more intense physiological changes,” bears are able to wake from torpor “easily and frequently,” according to wildlife experts. Credit: Oakland Zoo via Storyful