A heartwarming tradition for outdoor and wildlife lovers kicks off this week, with voting commencing today in the annual Fat Bear Week, a contest held within Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve. This unique event, now in its 10th year, is a testament to the resilience of the 2,200 brown bears that call the preserve home. In preparation for the long winter, these bears are currently feasting on sockeye salmon, a sight to behold for any nature enthusiast.
“Fat Bear Week is a celebration of success and survival. It is a way to celebrate the resilience, adaptability and strength of Katmai’s brown bears. Bears are matched against each other in a tournament style competition where online visitors vote on which bear is ultimately crowned the Fat Bear Week champion.”
Visitors to the website can learn about each competing bear's life and individual characteristics. Some have names like ‘Chunk’ or ‘Grazer,’ while others simply go by a number they have been identified with, such as Bear 747, a large adult male with a blocky muzzle and dark brown fur. His outer ears are damaged, likely due to fights with other large bears. With his fishing skill and rank near the top of the hierarchy, the advantage comes to 747 in many ways, even if life near the top includes moments of difficulty. He was the Fat Bear Week champion in 2020 and 2022. He is over 20 years old and remains a dominant bear, although there are signs that a few younger bears may not perceive 747 as dominant as he once was.
"Chunk" - September 19, 2024Photo byNPS Photo/E. Johnston
Unfortunately, just before the contest was about to kick off, one of the contestants, a female known as Bear 402, was killed by a male bear during a fight that took place on Monday. Cameras were set up in the park to live-stream footage of the bear that witnessed the sad event. The nonprofit explore.org, which streams uncensored bear cameras and helps organize Fat Bear Week, hosted a live conversation about the death on Tuesday. Katmai National Park ranger Sarah Bruce said that the reason the bears started fighting wasn't known.
“We love to celebrate the success of bears with full stomachs and ample body fat, but the ferocity of bears is real,” said Mike Fitz, explore.org’s resident naturalist. “The risks that they face are real. Their lives can be hard, and their deaths can be painful.”
The competition of the fattest, most favorite bear is played by placing the bears in brackets, with 12 to begin with and whittling down from 12 to 8 in the first round and four moving on the second round. The contest runs during one of the most critical feeding times for the bears in the park. Adult male brown bears typically weigh 600 to 900 pounds in mid-summer. By the time they are ready to hibernate after feasting on migrating and spawning salmon — each eats as many as 30 fish per day — large males can weigh well over 1,000 pounds, with females being about a one-third smaller.
"Walker" - September 12, 2024Photo byNPS Photo/F. Jimenez
Fat Bear Week lasts from October 2 to 8; individuals. Individuals can vote daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. AKDT at fatbearweek.org!
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