Bears finally asleep as cold wave hits Russia

0 Comments | AFP, January, 2007

MOSCOW (AFP) — After weeks of rain and unprecedented high temperatures, cold and snow has finally hit back in central Russia, sending bears finally to their winter slumber and endangering other hibernating species like hedgehogs.

"As soon as snow covered the earth, the brown bear that stayed awake all this time returned to his lair and fell asleep," the Moscow zoo's spokesman said Thursday as quoted by the ITAR-TASS news agency.

"The warm weather in the capital did not allow the bear to hibernate," the spokesman explained.

However, hedgehogs -- who also failed to go into hibernation and are unlikely to do so now -- risk "dying of cold and hunger" with the return of proper Russian winter, the Moscow city hall's environment protection department warned as...