"I was in a field, and I felt very comfortable. That's my last memory."Hibernation reduces the need forfood and protects animals from damage to the brain and other organs.Even more incredibly, Uchikoshi, who was treated for severe hypothermia and blood loss, madea full recovery.He remainedaunconscious in almost-freezing temperatures without food or water for more thanthree weeks.In hibernation, the body atemperature of an animal is lowered and its breathing and heart rate slow down.When he was found in the freezing field 24 days after his fall, he did not seem tobe breathing and had no detectable pulse.Yet something incredible happened while he was at Kobe City GeneralHospital: He woke up!Doctors believe that Uchikoshi's body went into a state similar to hibernation.Doctors assumed hewas dead.