A special bakery was established to help bears gain back their strength after a long winter of hibernation in the Ovakorusu Bear Sanctuary and Celal Acar Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in the Karacabey district of Bursa.

Pistachio, molasses and fruity bread prepared in the bakery are provided to the bears to meet their increased protein and calorie requirements. The reserves are home to 71 brown bears, including 63 sows, boars and eight cubs.

These bears are protected in their natural environment in these shelters affiliated with the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks in Bursa.

Studies show that, during hibernation, there is a drop in a bear's metabolism. The bear's heart rate and respiration slow, and their blood circulation becomes concentrated in the heart, lungs and brain. Each day during hibernation, a bear needs water, protein and 4,000 calories from stored fat.

Interestingly, while hibernating, bears' cholesterol levels are twice as high as during the summer and twice as high as the cholesterol levels of most humans. Bears, however, don't get hardening of the arteries or gallstones because their liver secretes a substance that dissolves gallstones. Another mystery is how bears retain bone mass during hibernation, explained Azizcan Sezer, chief veterinarian of the rehabilitation center.

"Hence, we have opened this bakery to feed our bears with high-calorie and high-protein foods such as loaves of bread and seasonal fruits. We distribute nearly 400 kilograms (800 pounds) of food every day," said Sezer.