The bear has as many as 200 known names in the Finnish language, including otso, kontio and mesikämmen. In ancient times, Finns believed that the bear’s original name could not be used, since it might hear it, come to you and attack. The bear’s original name in Finnish is believed to be oksi.

One bear can eat hundreds of kilos of berries every autumn to produce a thick layer of fat. When the snow falls, bears dig a winter lair under a hill or an ant nest and go to hibernate. They can hibernate for up to seven months. During this time, they might not eat, drink, urinate or excrete a single time! Females give birth during hibernation.