Bears hibernate during the winter months in most areas of the world. ... For many years some people did not consider bears to be true hibernators. Mammals considered true, or deep hibernators, such as chipmunks and ground squirrels, experience a drastic decrease in body temperature during hibernation.

Can bears come out in the winter?

Bears hibernate not because of the cold but because there is a lack of food during the winter months. Females have their babies during hibernation (mid-winter) and mothers nurse their babies in the den until spring arrives. ... Bears do not go into complete hibernation the way rodents do.

Do bears actually sleep all winter?

We have heard since childhood that bears “sleep” through the winter, but in fact they are awake and in a reduced metabolic state. Yellowstone bears go months without performing the usual bodily functions, and their breathing and heart rates slow significantly.