Rescued brown bear, Mark, napping at the base of a tree comfortably

Tournament of Tired: The 2024 March Napness Competition has Begun 

Bears compete for the crown, influencers and celebrities joining in 

3/5/2024

BOSTON, MA – MARCH 5, 2024. Pitting sleepy bear against sleepy bear, March Napness returns this month for its second year as an engagement project from FOUR PAWS, the global animal welfare organization. Inspired by the popularity of March Madness, March Napness is a global tournament-style bracket competition that shines a light on rescued bears (even if they are too sleepy to notice).   

FOUR PAWS houses over 100 rescued brown bears in six sanctuaries across the globe. 23 of these bears have nestled in for their winter nap as the world eagerly awaits who will be crowned the Champion of Slumber, the King (or Queen!) of the Couch, the Winner of Winter Sleep, the Best Bedder, the Victor of the Zs, the Master of REMs, or 2024’s “Sleepiest Bear!”  

March Napness serves to highlight FOUR PAWS’ efforts to rescue and protect the world’s “saddest bears.” A large demand for bears in captivity exists globally for their use in bear baiting and hunting, dancing bear performances and other tourist attractions, petting or hands-on exhibits among many other cruelties. FOUR PAWS rescues bears from deplorable conditions to ultimately house them in sanctuaries where they are provided with a species-appropriate and most natural environment possible.  

Everyone is encouraged to follow along, fill out their brackets, and participate in our social activities throughout the months of March and April. Each week in March, FOUR PAWS will announce which bears have woken up. 

How to participate:  

Cast your vote daily or weekly! FOUR PAWS website has interactive brackets or printer friendly brackets. 

Follow @FOURPAWSUSA on Instagram, Facebook and X (Twitter), and participating sanctuaries for all the latest updates. Be a cheerleader for your favorite bear! Comment, Share and Tag FOUR PAWS for a chance to be featured on stories.   

AROSA BEAR SANCTUARY

FB @arosabaerenland

IG: @arosabaerenland

BEAR SANCTUARY Arbesbach

FB: @BearSanctuaryArbesbach

IG: @bear_sanctuary_arbesbach

BEAR SANCTUARY Prishtina

FB: @bearsanctuaryprishtina

IG:  @bear_sanctuary_prishtina

BEAR SANCTUARY Müritz

FB: @BÄRENWALD Müritz

IG: @baerenwald_mueritz

BEAR SANCTUARY Belitsa

FB: @BearSanctuaryBelitsa

IG: @ bear_sanctuary_belitsa

BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr

FB: @Ведмежий Притулок Домажир

IG: @bearsanctuarydomazhyr

For more information, please visit https://www.fourpawsusa.org/our-stories/blog-news/march-napness-2024 

FOUR PAWS is the global animal welfare organization for animals under direct human influence, which reveals suffering, rescues animals in need, and protects them. Founded in 1988 in Vienna by Heli Dungler and friends, the organization advocates for a world where humans treat animals with respect, empathy, and understanding. FOUR PAWS’ sustainable campaigns and projects focus on companion animals including stray dogs and cats, farm animals and wild animals – such as bears, big cats, and orangutans – kept in inappropriate conditions as well as in disaster and conflict zones. With offices in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Kosovo, the Netherlands, Switzerland, South Africa, Thailand, Ukraine, the UK, the USA and Vietnam, as well as sanctuaries for rescued animals in eleven countries, FOUR PAWS provides rapid help and long-term solutions. www.fourpawsusa.org 

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