3 min read Do Bears Poop While They're Hibernating? The MOST important question.

It's a place we never get to see in person - at least, not the more cautious of us.

Shutterstock

Bear dens: the mythical enclaves where hibernating bears cozy up with their cubs to brave out frigid winters.

This browser does not support the video tag. YouTube/bobby54401

This browser does not support the video tag. YouTube/bobby54401

But how, exactly, do bears live through their seven-month sleep? More specifically, what do they do when ... er ... nature calls?

This browser does not support the video tag. YouTube/bobby54401

This browser does not support the video tag. YouTube/bobby54401

This is where the "fecal plug" comes into play.

YouTube/bobby54401

YouTube/bobby54401

This browser does not support the video tag. YouTube/bearstudy

This browser does not support the video tag. YouTube/bearstudy

This browser does not support the video tag. YouTube/bearstudy

This browser does not support the video tag. YouTube/bearstudy

By the time the bears emerge for spring, they have to get ready to eat and poop normally.

So, they get rid of their fecal plug as soon as they leave their den. "By the sixth or seventh month in the den, most of these bears defecate - usually near the den entrance," according to the North American Bear Center. "Fecal plugs have a light odor that is not unpleasant."

Watch a bear get ready for winter below: