BOSTON, MA – APRIL 24, 2025.  It all came down to a neck-and-neck battle of slumber as the 2025 March Napness competition wrapped up its final week. Very much like its college basketball counterpart, upsets and knockouts dominated this year’s competition.

Masha, an 18-year-old European Bear, woke up on April 12th beating her last two sleepy competitors by 3 days! Just as the Cougars, one of the top-seeded basketball teams were ousted, Masha beat out the 2025 favorite-to-win bear Mark.

Inspired by March Madness, March Napness is a bracket-style competition where rescued hibernating bears compete to see who will remain sleeping the longest this spring. The sleepiest bear wins the title The Champion of Slumber, the Winner of Winter Sleep, the King or Queen of the Couch, the Best of the Rest, the Victor of the Zs, the Leader in Lounge, or 2025’s “Sleepiest Bear!”.

This celebration of hibernation features bears who were rescued by FOUR PAWS, the global animal welfare organization, that houses over 135 bears in seven sanctuaries across the globe. The bears were rescued from inappropriate and inadequate conditions. Sadly, these bears cannot be returned to the wild; however, at the sanctuaries they are given species-appropriate conditions and expert veterinary care to live out the rest of their lives in peace.

Masha’s life was one of suffering and unimaginable cruelty. Kept at a hunting station and used as bait for hunting dogs, Masha’s quality of life was extremely low. In 2013, she was rescued by the Nadiya Rescue Center, now called White Rock, and finally transferred to BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr in 2018. FOUR PAWS opened the Ukrainian sanctuary back in 2016 providing a species-appropriate forever home to 31 bears rescued from poor keeping conditions in captivity. FOUR PAWS works with governments across Europe to ban the cruel practice of bear baiting as well as supports the enforcement of these bans. BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr continues to operate and welcomes the public even through the current war, continuously prioritizing the health and safety of the bears, including Masha!

“Masha is quite a curious bear, always wanting to know what is going on around her. Perhaps this is why she is such a good competitor. When awake however, she is very fast, likes to run and play, but she is also a lady,” explained Olya Fedoriv from BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr.

Just as March Madness perfectly described the unpredictability of the college basketball tournament, March Napness perfectly illustrates that when it comes to bears and sleep, anyone can be crowned king (or queen).