Brown bears in Latvia are not as large as their cousins in North America or Russia, but they are still impressive animals. An adult can weigh as much as 200 kilograms — about the same as three or four average adults — and stand tall enough to reach high branches.
Bears are omnivores, which means they eat both plants and meat. In Latvia, bears spend most of the year eating berries, roots, mushrooms, honey from wild bee nests, fish from streams and small animals. They are very good swimmers and surprisingly fast runners.
In winter, brown bears go into a long, deep sleep called hibernation. They find or dig a cosy den — often under tree roots or inside a hollow bank — and sleep there until spring arrives and food becomes easy to find again. Bear cubs are often born during this winter sleep.
Latvia works hard to protect its brown bears. Gauja National Park and the forests in eastern Latvia are their main strongholds. Because the forests cover almost half the country, there is plenty of space for bears to roam without coming near towns very often.