Brown bear sleeping with their head resting in the grass

March Napness

Who will be crowned the Sleepiest Bear of 2026?

March Napness 2026

Welcome to the 4th annual March Napness Competition! In this bracket-style tournament, we celebrate the sleepy season for our rescued bears and encourage their fans to guess which nap-lete will hibernate the longest.

Based on the NCAA’s basketball tournament, March Madness, you can fill in your own bracket to predict when each of the 22 competing bears will wake up and who will be crowned the Sleepiest Bear of 2026. It’s the sport that values self-care and sleep!

Meet the Bears
Latest "Wake Up Wednesday" Update
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Coloring Pages

Why do we celebrate sleep?

Hibernation (or torpor, which is the proper scientific name for a bear’s winter rest) is an important part of a bear’s natural life cycle. However, many bears in captivity are not able to properly rest because their health, diet, and living conditions do not allow it. That is why we celebrate sleep at our sanctuaries. When a bear enters into torpor, that is a sign that they are comfortable, healthy, and living according to their natural instincts.

The 22 competing bears are all animals that FOUR PAWS rescued from inappropriate keeping conditions, such as tourist attractions, petting and selfie operations, rundown zoos, circuses, and private ownership. The bears now reside at one of our six European bear sanctuaries, where they are given expert medical care, a species-appropriate environment, and a chance at a new life. We are very proud that our bears feel safe and healthy enough to enter torpor, and we invite you to join us in celebrating this period of winter rest!

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Are you a school class or group? Or want an oversimplified bracket where you can just pick the champion? Click here.

March Napness bracket for sleepiest bear competition

Want more info about the bears' hibernation habits before filling in your bracket?

Check out the Sleepy Stats

SAM

Sam

Lanky, long-legged Sam is a calm bear who will often spend the morning grazing, taking his time, enjoying his meal.

Sam sometimes shares a hibernation den with his sister Jamila. You can check out their live webcam here!

JAMILA

Jamila

Jamila is known for her powerful strength. Food is very important for all bears, but Jamila is the most prone to food envy. She is usually the last to retreat into hibernation because she spends a long time searching for food.

AMELIA

Amelia

Amelia is a bright and curious bear. She is very determined and always needs something to do. She is so clever and dexterous that we have to secure our webcams well—otherwise Amelia will dismantle them like an expert!

MEIMO

Meimo

Meimo is a quiet and relaxed bear, who is known for being peaceful, balanced, and level-headed. Even when Amelia sometimes “picks on him," he remains calm and collected.

His caretakers say Meimo is the epitome of a “picture-book bear”, both in appearance and behavior.

HOPE

Hope

Hope is very brave, smart, and fearless! She shares an enclosure with Tomi, who is also competing in this year’s March Napness , and they both love to spend time together.

Hope’s caretakers all know her as “yoga bear” because she likes to stretch in different, fantastic positions!

TOMI

Tomi

Tomi is a very gentle bear, and shares his enclosure with his partner, and fellow March Napness competitor, Hope. Tomi and Hope do everything together, and they especially love swimming and playing in the pool.

Tomi was a finalist in our 2025 competition.

ARI

Ari

Ari is a very calm bear who only loses his cool when unexpected noises occur. He is also the only bear at Prishtina that doesn’t swim in his pool, and he much prefers to lie on the edge and splash water onto himself with his paws. He loves food and will eat every bit without discrimination.

HANA

Hana

Hana is a very smart and brave bear who shares a large natural enclosure with Mal and Anik, who are her best friends for life. However, Hana can be fickle, and she chooses which friend is her favorite depending on her mood from day to day. Hana’s caretakers say she “handles two big boys in a very smooth way.”

MICHAL

Michal

Michal is a calm and gentle bear who loves swimming, digging holes, and playing with branches and sticks.

Missing a foreleg doesn't stop him from anything, and this charismatic bear is a favorite with many visitors and followers online.

LELYA

Lelya

Lelya and her sister Dasha were rescued from Ukraine in 2019. Lelya tends to be more dominant than her sister Dasha; however, Lelya lets Dasha take the lead in unfamiliar situations.

Last year, the sisters hibernated together, but this year, they chose to sleep in their own dens.

ROCCO

Rocco

Rocco is a young, curious bear who loves to explore the world around him. There are many things that he experienced for the first time at the sanctuary, like swimming, toys, and snow! Rocco likes enrichments, but what he loves most is playing with tree trunks and exploring the forest.

Rocco hibernated for the first time in his life in 2022.

SYLVIA

Sylvia

Sylvia likes to swim and in spite of an old injury to her paw, she has no problem running or playing. She also sometimes likes to dig her own hibernation dens; however, for the past 2-3 years, Sylvia has preferred to spend the hibernation in the bear house with her brother Pavle.

JETA

Jeta

Jeta is a 2 time Belitsa champ, and she is once again one of the first bears at the sanctuary to start her hibernation this year. She also holds the record for longest hibernation at Belitsa - 166 days in slumber!

The rest of the year she enjoys the company of her friends Teddy, Riku, and Iva.

MIMA

Mima

Mima was one of the last 3 “dancing” bears in Bulgaria, and though her early life was a sad one, she has recovered well. Mima enjoys the company of bear Monty, and the two bears are inseparable companions.

This year bear Mima was the first bear at the sanctuary who went into hibernation.

SVETLA

Svetla

Charming Svetla enjoys a peaceful life at Belitsa. Her favorite activity is resting, often spending time in her favorite, flexible pose - lying on her back with her hind paws raised high or leaning against a tree.
At 36, Svetla is the oldest bear at the sanctuary and in the March Napness competition.

MARINKA

Marinka

Though Marinka is quite small, before hibernation she manages to almost double her weight compared to spring!

She is also notable for her dexterity and exceptional intelligence. Marinka always finds a way to take advantage of the enrichments that caretakers carefully prepare for her.

POTAP

Potap

Potap is a very positive and friendly bear. He enjoys playing, swimming, and solving enrichments. He likes a variety of fruit, especially melon and oranges, and he goes especially crazy for fish!

Potap lives with 2026 March Napness Champ, Masha, so he may have picked up some sleeping tips from his partner!

LASKA

Laska

Laska loves to explore her forest enclosure and spends a lot of time digging! She is an active and lovely bear who lives with friend and fellow March Napness competitor, Misha.

Laska’s favorite foods are: nuts, pears, apples, and fish.

MELANKA

Melanka

Melanka is a calm bear who is known as a sophisticated lady. She was rescued along with bear Leo, and the two are are still very close. Their favorite activity is swimming together, and Melanka's favorite foods are green leaves, branches of raspberries, and acorns.

MISHA

Misha

Misha is a very calm bear who lives with fellow March Napness competitor, Laska.His favorite foods are apples and grapes.

Both Misha and Laska love to sleep, so his caretakers think he has a good chance of winning!

ERICH

Erich

Weighing about 275-300kg (~600-660 lbs), Erich is the biggest bear in Arbesbach. He is, however, not the bravest. He might run away from helicopters, loud noises, construction workers, flies, or for no clear reason at all. Large but polite -Erich is a gentle giant.

BRUMCA

Brumca

One of the first bears rescued at Arbesbach, Brumca is known as 'The Queen'. She will often refuse to eat food that is cut or placed in the wrong location--a true diva!

The Nap Recap

See which bears are awake and who is still asleep every "Wake Up Wednesday"

Week 2: March 11

Who Woke Up This Week?

No one!

Week 2 of March Napness was a real snooze! All the bears who are still in the tournament remained asleep this week. Sounds like we’ve got quite the squad of competitive nap-letes this year!

At BEAR SANCTUARY Müritz in Germany, Lelya and Sylvia's siblings (who are not competing in the tournament) decided to end their hibernation last weekend, but our two March Napness competitors still remain in torpor. Both Lelya and Sylvia have made some appearances outside their dens to enjoy their favorite sunny spots though, so we’ll see how much longer their hibernation lasts. Bear Michal, however, hasn’t been seen outside his den at all—perhaps he will be the German champ this year?

Svetla from Team Bulgaria at BEAR SANCTUARY Belitsa has also been seen taking some breaks outside her den. Svetla is the oldest competitor in March Napness and an excellent sleeper, but might she be ready to officially wake up soon?

In Ukraine, bear Potap awoke in week one, but all of his fellow competitors at BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr are still sleeping soundly, as are all the competi-bears from Arosa Bear Sanctuary in Switzerland and BEAR SANCTUARY Prishtina in Kosovo.

Who do you think will be the next to wake up and who has the chutzpah to hibernate the longest? Share your predictions with us on social media! And be sure to follow all of our bear sanctuaries to see what the bears are up to once they awaken.

Haven't filled in your bracket yet? There's still time! Make your predictions here.

Week 1: March 4

Who Woke Up This Week?

Rocco, BEAR SANCTUARY Müritz, Germany
Marinka, BEAR SANCTUARY Belitsa, Bulgaria
Potap, BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr, Ukraine
Erich & Brumca, BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach, Austria

Week 1 of the hibernation competition gave us some record-setting action, with 5 bears deciding to end their winter rest. That’s more week 1 wake ups than we have ever seen in 4 years of competition!

Marinka from Team Bulgaria was the first bear to awaken this spring. Her caretakers say that she is doing well and has a good appetite! The other three bears at Belitsa are still sleeping strong.

In Germany, spring-like temperatures tempted bear Rocco from his den, and he is now up to his old tricks (or should we say old sticks!) playing in his forest home. Rocco’s teammates Lelya and Silvia have both been seen taking breaks out of their dens, but they decided to catch some more snoozes and are still in the competition.

In Ukraine, Bear Potap decided he’d had enough sleep as well. His partner, Masha was the March Napness champ last year, so we thought some winning strategy might have rubbed off on him; however, it looks like Potap is more interested in sunshine than sleep! Who can blame him?

At BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach, both Erich & Brumca awoke just as March began. The two bears from Austria have consistently been the first nap-letes to awaken all four years of competition. Sounds like they have their own definition of winning!

All the bears from Prishtina and Arosa continue to hibernate, including Bear Hope, who was recently featured in PEOPLE.

Is your favorite still in the running for the crown? If you haven’t filled in your bracket yet, there’s still time! Make your predictions here.

Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with all the March Napness action, and stay tuned for the next Wake Up Wednesday update next week!