Andrea Powell
Alaska’s Katmai Nationwide Park & Protect is internet hosting its annual Fats Bear Week, which reveals off their largest brown bears who’re making ready for an extended hibernation by consuming as a lot as attainable.
The roughly 2,200 brown bears contained in the park are devouring salmon in preparation for winter the place they are going to want the additional kilos to outlive. They pack on the kilos rapidly within the fall months with some males exceeding 1,200 kilos.
Nationwide Park Service posted that voting has began and reminded those who the larger the bear the higher. “At all times keep in mind, fats bears are profitable bears. There’s no fats shaming right here. In brown bears, giant quantities of physique fats are indicative of fine well being and powerful possibilities of survival. The bears want shops of fats to assist them survive winter hibernation, which may final for months. Whereas within the den, a bear can lose as much as one-third of its physique mass.”
Voting began on September 23 and can proceed by way of the thirtieth utilizing a bracket system. Viewers take a look at the images posted by the park of the transformation of the bears over the previous few months and vote for who they suppose is the “fattest”.
The bears go head-to-head in a single elimination till there is only one remaining. The winner will probably be introduced subsequent week. Be taught extra about every bear right here.
The park lately introduced the “chubbiest cub” on this 12 months’s Fats Bear Junior competitors. The winner out of the 4 rising cubs is 128 Junior. Katmai Nationwide Park introduced her win and wrote, “She is magnificence, she is grace, she has salmon on her face!”
She is now a contestant towards the large bears and goes towards 609 in spherical one. The children are properly matched as that is 609’s first 12 months on her personal. The park shared, “The yearling teen, 128 junior could also be pint-sized however she’s packing potential and waddling in with wide-eyed surprise and a stomach filled with desires. 2025 was bear 609’s first summer time on her personal, however she’s seasoned in snacking and savvy in stream technique. Will she strut away from this spherical with swagger?”
Remember to vote every day and comply with alongside to see all the chunky bears making ready for an extended winter. Take a look at the bracket and vote right here.
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