Winter is over, at least for Franz and Mischa. The two have now woken up again and are enjoying the sunshine, their regular meals and playing together.
In the zoo, construction activity can be seen at nearly every corner. Channels for power supply, as well as data cables for the future monitoring of the predators, have been dug and a new construction access road is nearly finished. This access road is essential for us, as it helps avoid construction traffic in the visitor area.
Finally! Construction has begun on the Tibetan bear enclosure!
The first construction phases include digging a supply trench that runs from the administration building to the pigsty in the Tibetan area. A separate access road will then be built from Ernst-Müller-Weg. The trench will be constructed in two sections: the first section runs from the farmyard to the Explorer barn, while the second section runs from the Explorer barn to the pigs' enclosure in the Tibetan area.
Even though Mischa and Franz are still housed in Augsburg, they now appear for the first time as Görlitz inhabitants on our current inventory list.
The two are now sleeping soundly, interrupted here and there by a short break...
By the way, there are various ways to "sleep through" the winter in the animal kingdom:
We distinguish between hibernation, winter dormancy and winter torpor.
In hibernation, animals lower their body temperature, their heartbeat and breathing become slow. They stop eating. (examples: hedgehog, marmot, bat)
Winter dormancy is characterized by the fact that the body temperature is not lowered as much as in hibernators, and where eating even occurs from time to time (examples: brown bear, squirrel, badger).
In winter torpor, animals that cannot regulate their body temperature independently hibernate. This depends on the outside temperature (examples: frog, turtle, fish).
Why do bears enter a winter rest?
Northern bears have thick fur and are therefore well-adapted to cold climates. So, the cold is not the reason why bears go into winter rest. It's simply the lack of food in winter. Sleeping, or resting, requires much less energy to maintain vital functions than during active periods.A brilliant invention of nature!
In autumn, wild bears fatten themselves on high-fat and high-carbohydrate foods, such as beechnuts, acorns, berries, and fruit, to live off during their rest phase. Although there would be no food shortage in human care, even in winter, the winter rest phases are very important for the overall vitality and health of the bears.
The birth period also falls within the winter rest. Another brilliant invention of nature, because the guinea pig-sized, naked bear cubs depend on their mother's body heat for the first weeks of life to avoid freezing. If she had to go in search of food, she would face an immense conflict that could potentially cost the cubs their lives.
Our bears, Mischa and Franz are not yet asleep. The goal is to have them "winterized" within two weeks. Franz is already showing signs of being significantly "sleepier" than Mischa. However, preparations for their winter rest are in full swing!
It's becoming clear that the two have very different food preferences. While Mischa loves fish as a protein source and completely ignores meat, it's the exact opposite for Franz.
The Augsburg zookeepers have already prepared the winter rest boxes. To prevent external disturbances, the boxes have been boarded up, the lighting is being progressively dimmed, and feeding has been stopped. A cozy nest made of fir branches, leaves and straw has been prepared. Since our "winter resters" occasionally get up, the animals retain access to the outdoor enclosure, where they can also find water should they wish to drink.
And what is the current status of the construction of our cherished bear enclosure project?
In preparation for the start of construction, intensive work is being done on the logistics for the construction site. In accordance with agreements with the city of Görlitz, the necessary construction road is to be built this year, weather conditions permitting.
The funding provider has, in accordance with the grant notice, seen the first services realized.
Things are quite cozy with our bears Mischa and Franz in Augsburg. They eat as much as they can, and then, no later than early November, they head into their four-to-five-month winter rest.
They still enjoy the last rays of the October sun, though. That's how the beautiful photo of Mischa sunbathing "high up" came about.
The scheduled start of construction will take place in 2024, according to the current timeline. The initial work will include preparing the site and laying the necessary utilities, such as electricity and water.
To achieve this, and to realize the enclosure sections of the first construction phase, such as the visitors exit and the crossing, the tender is being prepared so that the contracts can be awarded in November.
To financially secure these works, the first funds have been drawn from the SAB (Sächsische Aufbaubank).
It's the end of September and our two bears, Mischa and Franz in Augsburg are slowly being prepared for their winter hibernation.
What does that mean? No lullabies around the clock...
To draw on their energy reserves during the hibernation, the bears must first gorge themselves in late summer and autumn. This means everything with a high fat and carbohydrate content is their favourite food. This includes nuts, acorns, beechnuts, fruits, seeds and honey. Currently, a slim figure is not the main goal: now it's not just allowed to feast, it's a must!
As for the construction of the new Tibetan Bear's enclosure preparations, the details, such as doors, gates and slides are currently being worked on intensively.
While there's no new news about Franz and Mischa, things are moving very fast here with the construction of our new enclosure.
We're absolutely thrilled to have finally received the funding for the Tibetan bear enclosure. This officially starts the detailed planning for the first construction phases. We've already scheduled meetings with the funding providers for further discussions.
Internally, our team is working hard on the informational aspect, in other words: developing educational programs about the Tibetan bear and the Rhesus macaque. This is very important to us, as we also want to convey informative facts about the two animal species.
In terms of marketing, our brand new "bear-seesaw" is helping us to promote our project and raise the remaining 250,000 Euros. The seesaw has immediately become a hit, as unlike traditional seesaws, our bear seesaw can accommodate a whole family at once.
After several weeks, of being separated by a "socialization barrier", Mischa and Franz have now been successfully introduced to each other.
Following some growling, hissing and mutual threatening gestures, they have now at least developed a non-aggressive-co-existence. This is a good start, as for the one-year-old Franz, the presence of a larger bear instinctively triggers the highest level of dangerousness, since in the wild young bears often fall victim to adult male bears.
Franz has proven to be very assertive from the beginning, which Mischa respects and quickly retreats when threatened by her new friend.
To prevent arguments over food, the two are still separated for feeding, but in other situations they remain together constantly.
Surprise at the bear's enclosure! Franz is testing his limits and attacks Mischa. She doesn't let the young guy push her around and fights back. Franz didn't expect that. Somewhat astonished, he immediately backs down and the peace is restored.
Second time went well! Two-year-old Tibetan bear Mischa made it without a hitch this time from the Chleby Zoo in the Czech Republic to her Bavarian holiday resort, Zoo Augsburg.
After initial hesitation, Mischa has now familiarized herself with her new surroundings. However, contact with her future partner Franz has so far only been possible through a "cuddle grate". They are still reacting to each other with hissing and growling.
Of course, we hope that great sympathy will develop between them very quickly.
In our zoo, a large-format information board with various illustrations of the individual enclosure sections provides information about the new Tibetan bear enclosure at the enclosure's location.
Our enclosure for Tibetan bears is not finished yet, but we already have two future residents of this enclosure: one-year-old Tibetan bear Franz from the zoo in Dessau and two-year-old bear Mischa from the Czech zoo in Chleby. The couple will soon start their summer vacation in Bavaria, or more precisely in Augsburg Zoo, where they will live until our enclosure is completed.
Franz has already moved into the newly renovated Augsburg bear enclosure on April 17, 2024. Unfortunately, he is still alone because an incident occurred while Mischa was transported, making it difficult to get there. The car had to go back and Mischa temporarily returned to her birthplace.
The second transport date is currently June 4. Everyone involved is very excited to see how Franz and Mischa will react to each other's presence...
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