Mark, a bear competing in FOUR PAWS' 2nd Annual March Napness bracket competition.Photo:Courtesy of FOUR PAWS
Courtesy of FOUR PAWS
While basketball fans prepare for March Madness, rescue bears are indulging in March Napness.
Once again, animal welfare organizationFOUR PAWSis searching for the world’s sleepiest bear with its 2nd AnnualMarch Napness bracket competition. This year’s contest is a (bed)head-to-head battle to see who can stay in hibernation the longest. The players are 23 rescue bears residing at six FOUR PAWS sanctuaries across the globe.
The animal athletes in this relaxing competition are currently hibernating after entering their dens late last year. The bear to wake up and emerge from their den last will win March Napness and earn the title of the Sleepiest Bear of 2024.
Starting March 1, fans can join FOUR PAWS in keeping track of the bears that wake up and drop out of the competition. The organization will provide weekly updateson social mediaon which of the 23 bears ended their hibernation period and chance at the Sleepiest Bear title.
Among the bears hibernating for the win this year is Mark, a rookie to the competition and hibernation. Mark, estimated to be about 26, spent most of his life as a “restaurant bear” in Albania,according to FOUR PAWS, which means the animal was kept in a small kennel next to a restaurant to attract customers.
Mark the Bear.Courtesy of FOUR PAWS
His rescuers were unsure if Mark would hibernate at the sanctuary after spending his life enduring unnatural conditions and poor nutrition. But once Mark moved into the wide-open outdoor space of the sanctuary, where he had room to explore and be a bear, the animal surprised his caretakers. In late 2023, Mark entered his den and stayed there for his first full hibernation.
The move has made Mark eligible to win the Sleepiest Bear title, which went to Bear Mascha of Sanctuary Muritz in Germany in 2023. Fans who think Mark has enough commitment to sleep to win the competition can place him in the champion position in theinteractive bracket available through FOUR PAWS.
Mark the Bear at FOUR PAWS' Bear Sanctuary Arbesbach in Austria.Courtesy of FOUR PAWS
The organization said that fans can expect March Napness to extend into mid to late April. The last bear to come out of hibernation and greet warmer weather will win.
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To learn more about the March Napness competition and how to follow along,visit FOUR PAWS' website.
source: people.com
