Have a Beary Happy Thanksgiving! Dickerson Park Zoo bears indulge in winter feast

Black bears Lil' Bear and Yona didn't waste any time roaming over to a picnic table heaping full of fruits, vegetables and baked goods for their Thanksgiving feast.

Dickerson Park Zoo held its fifth annual Beary Happy Thanksgiving on Wednesday morning and 15-year-old Lil' Bear and 14-year-old Yona were the center of attention. The holiday event, held the week of Thanksgiving, is an opportunity for the public to see the bears before they enter torpor, a state of decreased physiological activity for the winter. Torpor is different from hibernation because the bears may wake up occasionally throughout the winter.

Lil' Bear, who is actually larger in size than Yona, was busy roaming around the enclosure, nibbling on strawberries at the picnic table and even knocking off the pumpkin head of a scarecrow propped up near a tree. Yona, on the other hand, was content with munching on a breaded cornucopia — a new addition to the feast this year.

For those wishing to see Lil' Bear and Yona before they enter torpor in the upcoming weeks, the zoo is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Dickerson Park Zoo black bears indulge on Thanksgiving feast