"Mom, I want to go play with my friends" Bear said. Mom and Bear had been picking and eating blueberries for, what felt like, forever to Bear. Mom kept eating blueberries and said, "Sorry, Bear, now that it is Fall we have to prepare for hibernation."

Bear was upset he couldn't go play with his friends. He didn't even know what hibernation was. So, he asked Mom. "Mom, what is hibernation? Why don't my friends have to do it?" Mom said, "Well, hibernation is the process where some animals are in an inactive state or sleep throughout the winter. Not all animals hibernate, but animals like bears, chipmunks, squirrels, and skunks, do.

Bear stopped eating and said, "Sleep...throughout the winter? The whole winter? I won't get to play with my friends! Do I have to go to sleep?" Bear didn't like when he had to go to sleep, he felt like he was missing out on playing with his friends. Mom said, "Yes, you have to. We have to hibernate so we survive the cold winter when food is scarce. Now, keep eating, we have to eat 15,000-20,000 calories a day to make sure we store enough fat to last the winter!"

"Okay, I'll eat, but do I have to go to sleep?" said Bear.

Mom told Bear, "As we find food and eat everyday, we also have to be on the lookout for a den. We will stay in the den all winter, so it has to be a safe spot, like under a waterfall, in a hollow tree, in a cave, or in a previously occupied den." "Okay," said Bear, "I'll help you look for a den, but do I have to go to sleep?" Mom smiled, said, "Yes." and they kept looking for a den.

"Okay, this looks good, it is a previously occupied den, it'll be a perfect spot for us." Said Mom.

"Mom, what happens when we're in the den?" asked Bear. Mom told Bear, "Well, after we're done eating and have stored enough fat, by the middle of November, our heart rates will slow down from 80-100 beats per minute to 50-60 beats per minute and we'll start to eat less. When we sleep our heart rates will go down to about 22 beats per minute. This will let us know that we are just about ready to start hibernation."