A prolonged period of heavy snowfall and plunging temperatures across eastern Türkiye’s Kars province has triggered significant seasonal changes in both wildlife behavior and rural life, with brown bears retreating into winter hibernation, wetlands freezing over and livestock farmers continuing their work under increasingly harsh conditions.
In the forests surrounding the Sarıkamış district, a large number of brown bears living in the region have entered hibernation following the recent wave of intense snowfall and cold weather. The bears, which spend the summer months searching for food and often migrate to rural areas of Artvin’s Şavşat district, northeastern Türkiye, had passed the autumn season around Sarıkamış, a town officially recognized for its “slow city” status.
After feeding intensively and building up fat reserves, the bears typically return to Sarıkamış by following a migration route of approximately 250 kilometers (155 miles). According to field observations, many of the bears completed this return journey in October and November and, with the onset of sustained snowfall, entered their dens by mid-December to begin winter dormancy.
Research teams from the KuzeyDoğa Association, which has been conducting long-term wildlife monitoring in the forests of Kars and Erzurum since 2006 with permission from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, confirmed that two brown bears currently being tracked via satellite transmitters have entered hibernation following the recent snowfall.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) on Monday, KuzeyDoğa Association Scientific Coordinator Emrah Çoban said that the heavy snowfall in Sarıkamış is a key environmental signal for bears to begin hibernation.
“The arrival of this level of snow is essentially a natural indicator that bears will go into hibernation,” Çoban said. “This year, the data from the two bears we are tracking via satellite clearly shows that both have entered winter sleep.”
Çoban noted that since the start of the project, researchers have captured 103 brown bears and fitted 84 of them with satellite transmitters to monitor movement patterns, habitat use and seasonal behavior. The work is carried out in cooperation with the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks.
“Sarıkamış forests are extremely valuable in terms of biodiversity,” he said. “Our goal is to better document this richness and raise public awareness. At this point, the bears have settled into their dens in Sarıkamış and will remain there until spring conditions return.”
According to Çoban, the duration of hibernation varies depending on climatic conditions and food availability. “Our data shows that brown bears can remain in hibernation anywhere between 50 and 130 days. Temperature, weather patterns and access to food all play a role. As conditions warm, bears gradually emerge from hibernation,” he added.
Elsewhere in Kars, the effects of extreme cold have become visible across the region’s natural landscapes. In the Arpaçay district, the surface of Lavaş Lake, officially designated as a “strictly protected sensitive area,” has frozen completely due to sub-zero temperatures.
Following snowfall, cold weather has caused several ponds and streams to freeze, while Lavaş Lake, classified as a potential natural protected site and formally granted its protected status by presidential decree in 2019, has been transformed into a vast sheet of ice. The snow-covered lake has created striking winter scenery as it blends into the surrounding natural environment.
The severe weather has also had a direct impact on daily life and agricultural activity in Sarıkamış. With nighttime temperatures dropping to minus 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit), icicles have formed on building roofs and windows have frozen, making routine work increasingly difficult for local livestock breeders.
Despite the conditions, farmers and animal breeders continue their daily responsibilities. In Yağbasan village, cattle breeder Göktürk Öztürk said that extreme cold requires constant vigilance to protect animals from adverse conditions.
“We try to shield our animals from the harsh weather as much as possible,” Öztürk told AA. “After the snowfall, we feed the animals and take them outside from time to time.”
Öztürk explained that allowing animals fresh air is essential for their health. “We take our horses outside and let them roll in the snow so they can open their breathing. We also take our calves out because staying in the barn for six or seven months can have negative effects due to poor air quality,” he said.
He added that poultry are also affected by prolonged indoor confinement. “We release our geese and chickens near the stream. Even chickens develop problems if they are kept inside for too long,” Öztürk said.
