But bears are agile and can move fast. The life of a bear Bears usually live alone and never gather in groups. During the mating season in the summer, a male and a female bear may live together for about a month. Then the male wanders away and the female prepares a place for her cubs to be born. Some bears spend much of the winter in a state similar to sleeping.
Many scientists consider the bear's winter sleep to be an example of hibernation.
Many other scientists, however, do not consider bears to be true hibernators. They point out that a bear's body temperature, unlike that of other hibernating mammals, does not drop greatly during winter sleep. In addition, a bear awakens easily and may become fairly active on mild winter days. See Hibernation . A bear prepares for its winter sleep by eating large amounts of food during late summer and storing fat within its body for energy.