Skip to main content
Worldbuilding

You are not logged in. Your edit will be placed in a queue until it is peer reviewed.

We welcome edits that make the post easier to understand and more valuable for readers. Because community members review edits, please try to make the post substantially better than how you found it, for example, by fixing grammar or adding additional resources and hyperlinks.

4
  • 13
    $\begingroup$ First off, the 'hibernation' of bears has been in question for a number of years now because they don't behave anything like other hibernating animals. Secondly, hibernation is a survival technique, not a design feature of the animals, though instinct will play a role. Most non-pregnant or non-older bears in captivity rarely hibernate as they have access to regular meals and the like so there is no need for them to conserve. Likely 'domesticated' bears being used as mounts would not feel the need to hibernate so only instinct might drive them towards that, which can be changed over time. $\endgroup$
    – Prof. Bear
    Commented Mar 21, 2016 at 12:54
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Lol professor bear. BTW can I just feed him berries? $\endgroup$
    – Aarthew III
    Commented Mar 21, 2016 at 14:50
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ @AarthewIII if I recall correctly, bears that have a diet of mostly fruit and berries have a tastier meat than those that are on a mostly meat/fish diet $\endgroup$
    – Nikita Akopjans
    Commented Mar 21, 2016 at 15:41
  • $\begingroup$ Grizzly and black/brown bears are only opportunistic carnivores. They get most of their calories from roots, bugs, grubs, berries, and some leafy matter. I bet you could come up with a reasonable food for them based on cooked cracked grain, supplemented with a small amount of dried fish. FWIW sled dogs in the klondike were fed 1/2 a dried salmon, or smaller amount of salmon and boiled rice. Rice was easier to carry, but required cooking. $\endgroup$
    – Sherwood Botsford
    Commented Jan 11, 2018 at 17:12