Brown bears are omnivores, which means they eat both plants and animals. In summer they spend most of their time eating β berries, fruits, insects, roots and whatever else they can find β because they need to build up a thick layer of fat before winter. In autumn they go into a deep sleep called torpor inside a den they have prepared, and they do not properly wake up until spring.
Bear cubs are born during winter while their mother is in torpor. The tiny cubs β no bigger than a guinea pig at birth β snuggle up to their sleeping mother and drink her milk, growing quickly. By spring, when the mother wakes up and leads them outside, the cubs have grown into fluffy, playful animals that tumble over each other in the forest.
In Montenegro, brown bears live mainly in the national parks and wilder mountain regions. They play an important role in the forest β when bears eat berries and move around, they scatter seeds far and wide in their droppings, helping new plants to grow. Scientists call animals that do this kind of helpful work 'ecosystem engineers'.