Moment Wild Place Project's brown bears wake up and emerge after months of hibernation

  • Watch five-year-olds Albie and Gemini waking up in their enclosure

Four bears living at a zoo near Bristol have begun to wake up from a light state of hibernation, as the temperatures begin to rise.

Gemini, Albie, Neo and Nilas all live at the Wild Place Project in South Gloucestershire but have spent much of the past few months asleep.

While the bears do not officially hibernate, they have spent three months in torpor, where long periods are spent resting to conserve energy.

But now all four are rising early in the morning to make the most of the warmer weather, as spring begins to bloom.

Five-year-olds Gemini and Albie and six-year-olds Neo and Nilas all live in Bear Wood at the site. It's an area of ancient woodland, which has been designed to imitate the habitats their ancestors would have lived in thousands of years ago, when bears roamed Britain.

They share the 7.5 acre enclosure with four wolves, just as they would have done in the wild. Staff at the site say Bear Wood is the largest brown exhibit in the UK.

The bears have become more active during the day once again and have been seen playing in their pond Credit: Wild Place Project

Natalie Kent, animal keeper at Wild Place Project, said: "Spring is well and truly here and the bears are eating well and exploring their surroundings.

“It’s lovely to see the bears moving around. Although they don't actually hibernate, they do spend a lot of time asleep during the cold weather to conserve energy and minimise exposure to winter elements."

Natalie said recent days have seen the bears climbing trees, playing in their pond and eating a diet of grasses, greens and meat, which is reflective of what they would be eating in the wild at this time of year.

“They are remarkable animals - intelligent and powerful - and Bear Wood provides a perfect, natural environment for them,” she added.

Other forms of life are also starting to reappear at the site to mark the start of spring. Flowers such as crocuses and daffodils have come into bloom, while as many as 40 species of bird have been spotted in the trees, including blue tits, ravens, wrens and woodpeckers.

Staff say members of the public can get involved in supporting the bears on their journeys at the Wild Place Project, by 'adopting one - and more details can be found on its website.