Last December, a Plainville, Connecticut family discovered a massive black bear hibernating beneath their porch. The bear went on to become a social media darling and quickly earned a nickname: “Marty Bearnard.” Now, several months after he was first discovered, Marty is starting to rise and shine.
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According to the Connecticut Post, Marty has been seen rustling about in his makeshift den. Homeowner Vincent Dashukewich posted several videos to the official @marty.the-bear Instagram account that show the lumbering bear making his way out into the world, making a pitstop in the Dashukewich’s neighbors’ yard.
Marty has made several appearances outside of his cozy deck den, most recently to stretch out and spend some time in the warm early spring sun.
These occasional wakeups are actually fairly normal. Black bears don’t actually hibernate—not in the true sense of the word, anyway. Instead, they go into a state called “torpor”, which usually lasts around five months and is more similar to deep sleep than it is to true hibernation.
Now, Marty, who’s looked impossibly cozy over the last few months, is starting to stir a bit more with each passing day. His adoptive family initially decided to let him stay and rest for the winter after determining that he wasn’t causing any harm. That means Marty has had a safe and comfortable place to sleep throughout the cold months.
Now that the weather is getting warmer, Marty is testing the waters by making short trips out, as seen via his Instagram page. Though bears across the country are beginning to come out of hibernation, Marty has yet to fully leave the den just yet. When that happens, the family that unwittingly played host to the bear will have to say goodbye. But perhaps Marty will come back “home” to wait out the next season.
