Bear sanctuary in Belitsa reopens to visitors — all bears awake after the long winter nap

On April 14, the Bear Sanctuary in Belitsa officially reopened its doors to visitors. Are all the bears awake? How did their hibernation go? And what’s new for visitors this season?

All 15 bears currently living in the sanctuary are now fully awake.

Nikola Popkostadinov, Manager of the Bear Sanctuary - Belitsa:

"We’re happy to report that the hibernation period passed undisturbed and sweetly — all the bears are now awake. The biggest surprise is Rico — a bear that had never hibernated before — and this year, he finally did. That makes us incredibly proud. We at the Belitsa Bear Sanctuary, as part of the ‘Four Paws’ Foundation, are committed to providing exceptional care for our bears. Rico's successful hibernation gives us confidence and motivation to continue our mission.”

This year's record holder for the longest hibernation is Mima the bear, who slept for a full 165 days, beating last year's record holder Jetta.

After waking, the bears are fed lighter meals in smaller portions, mostly vegetables such as lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers.

"We monitor them closely after waking to make sure they are coming out of hibernation properly and to check if any of their health conditions have worsened, so we can take timely action and arrange appropriate medical checkups," the sanctuary manager added.

This season, visitor tours in the park have been redesigned and are now organised in a new and improved format.

"We also have a bear den under construction, which we hope will be fully completed in the next 2–3 weeks. It will allow visitors to experience what it’s like for a bear during winter hibernation."