Black and white drawing of bear Rocco sitting against a tree

FOUR PAWS Ambassador Billy Murphy Brings a Little Extra Hope to March Napness this Year

The artist created whimsical portraits of our rescued bear nap-letes

You may have noticed some “badly drawn bears” taking over our social media channels this past spring. These adorable creations are the brainchild of artist Billy Murphy, whose viral artwork is displayed on @BillyMurphyArt.

Black and white drawing of bear Hope, holding foot in "yoga" pose with caption "Flexible and fabulous" — Billy Murphy’s drawing of Bear Hope from BEAR SANCTUARY Prishtina features her famous “yoga” poses.

Billy collaborated with FOUR PAWS USA to celebrate our March Napness tournament and to raise awareness for the real rescued bears who “compete” for the sleepiest bear title. March Napness is our bracket-style tournament based on March Madness where fans can guess which hibernating bears will sleep the longest. The 22 nap-letes all live at one of our six bear sanctuaries throughout Europe, which provide expert medical care, a species-appropriate environment, and a place to live out the #RestOfTheirLives in peace.

After providing some special sleepy artwork for our 2025 March Napness competition, Billy volunteered to create heartwarming portraits of each of the 22 nap-letes in 2026. He read each bear’s bio, and his paintings perfectly captured each of their individual personalities. The portraits were even featured in Bored Panda this spring!

See all of Billy’s March Napness artwork below

Are you on our mailing list? Then in your mailbox was Billy Murphy's "Top Sleeper" illustration!

Check out all of Billy's March Napness portraits!

Additionally, Billy created a limited edition “Born to Be Sleepy” painting with artist Abbie Rosie, and, because the sale was so popular, Billy generously donated to FOUR PAWS for the care of our rescued bears. Thank you, Billy, for your kindness, generosity and for bringing a little extra joy - and Hope - to our competition this year!

Billy’s first book, You Deserve The Little Treat: A Philosophy for Truly Living, releases on September 3, 2026, and is available for preorder now.

Amelia

The co-champion of March Napness 2026, Amelia is known for dismantling our webcams!

Meimo

Meimo, our other co-champion, is known by his caretakers as the epitome of a “picture-book bear,” both in appearance and behavior.

Jeta

Jeta, our runner-up, is considered an expert sleeper. She holds the record for longest hibernation at BEAR SANCTUARY Belitsa - 166 days in slumber!

Jamila

Jamila loves food, we mean, she REALLY loves food. She is usually the last to retreat into hibernation because she spends a long time searching for food.

Sam

Like is sister Jamila, Sam also has food on the brain!

Hana

Hana lives with her two best friends, Mal and Anik, and this strong female bear is the boss for sure!

Hope

Hope, who won the fan favorite award this year, is famous for striking the most fabulous yoga poses.

Tomi

Tomi lives with his partner Hope, and this gentle bear is completely devoted to his dear Hope.

Laska

Laska can often be seen digging within her enclosure at BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr in Ukraine.

Mima

Mima was the first bear to enter hibernation this year at BEAR SANCUTARY Belitsa in Bulgaria.

Michal

Missing a foreleg doesn’t prevent Michal from living his best life at the BEAR SANCTUARY Müritz in Germany!

Ari

Ari loves food and will eat every last crumb without discrimination.

Melanka

Melanka is living her life to the fullest at BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr in Ukraine.

Misha

Even outside of hibernation season, Misha is a big fan of sleep!

Svetla

The oldest bear at BEAR SANCTUARY Belitsa in Bulgaria, Svetla knows the importance of getting one’s best rest!

Lelya

Lelya, who is a natural leader, helped us celebrate International Women’s Day this year!

Sylvia

Sylvia likes to create the perfect cozy den for herself and her brother Pavle.

Potap

Potap’s favorite food is…you guessed it, fish!

Erich

A gentle giant, Erich is a big boy who is scared of big noises.

Brumca

Known as “The Queen,” Brumca is a picky eater who will refuse to eat food that is cut or placed in the wrong location—a true diva!

Rocco

Rocco really knows how to enjoy life at BEAR SANCTUARY Müritz in Germany.

Marinka

Marinka is a small bear, but she knows how to pack on the pounds before hibernation, almost doubling her body weight in the fall!

Be sure to follow @billymurphyart to see his amazing drawings of bears and other animals, and @fourpaws.usa for all the latest animal rescue news! You can also sign up for our newsletter, and we’ll notify you when March Napness 2027 launches next spring!

Image	Copyright	Author
###IMAGE###	###COPYRIGHT###	###AUTHOR###

###subline###

FOUR PAWS Ambassador Billy Murphy Brings a Little Extra Hope to March Napness this Year

The artist created whimsical portraits of our rescued bear nap-letes