Food is very scarce. Adult males begin to roam. Most other bears remain lethargic and slow-moving, eating mainly aspen catkins and willow catkins. All but baby bears have been losing weight. The forest habitat begins to green up.
Bears eat sprouting grass, emerging herbs and young tree leaves.
Cubs taste what their mother eats, but swallow little except milk. Other bears are slowly gaining weight. Green plants become mature and bears don't prefer them as much, but ant pupae become abundant. Bears switch to a favorite diet of ant pupae. Bears now begin to fatten up for winter as carbohydrate-rich berries get ripe.