It appears that the plants are not the only things slightly confused by the spell of warm weather. Typically, in January, we are met with nonstop frigid temperatures, and several plants and animals hide out from the cold. However, the unseasonably warm weather seems to have led to some confusion with the local Wyoming wildlife. Now, a poor Wyoming bear is still out and about, confused by the warm weather.
Wyoming Bear Is Still Out And About
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Cowboy State Daily shared the story about a young Wyoming black bear that has caused quite the gossip in the Jackson area. At this point in the year, most bears are nestled snug like a bug in their dens. This young bear, however, seems to have missed the memo. Local wildlife guides say it is not unheard of to have some bears wandering about later than usual. However, they suspect that this bear is confused by the warm weather. The outlet shared that Local wildlife tour guide and photographer Jeffrey Soulliere got photos of the bear on Christmas Eve. Additionally, he is not the only one.
Several residents in the Jackson area have admitted to spotting the bear earlier this month. Soulliere told Cowboy State Daily that he anticipates the young bear is between 3 and 4 years old. Additionally, he shared that bears typically leave their mothers around 3 years old. So whether he is confused by the warm weather or just trying life out on his own for the first time, is uncertain. However, what is certain is that it is clearly past his bedtime.
Should People Expect Bears To Continue To Be Confused By The Warm Weather?
As previously stated, although uncommon, it is not unheard of for bears to be out and about later than usual. While this Wyoming bear was a special sight, he is not the first. The outlet shared that "Soulliere took photos of Wyoming's most famous bear, Grizzly 399, and her litter of four cubs still out on New Year's Eve 2020/New Year's Day 2021." Nevertheless, with warm winter weather seeming to be a recurring theme, people are wondering if they should expect to see bears later than they are used to.
Bear experts spoke to the outlet and assured people that that will most likely not be the case. They shared, "The availability of food and bears' biological clocks probably play a bigger role than the weather in determining when bears go into hibernation." Despite this reassurance, they did still caution people to never let their guard down in Grizzly country - even during the winter months.
