Every year along Alaska’s Brooks River, hungry brown bears gather to feed on schools of migrating salmon. Twelve bears are taken out to participate in a popular competition called “Fat Bear Week.”
Katmai National Park in Alaska is behind the contest where people can vote for the bear they think has gained the most weight after coming to a salmon run along the banks of the river.
A good daily catch for a bear is about ten salmon. But they can eat much more than that, zookeeper Mike Fitz previously told the BBC.
This year’s edition was the ninth in a row and the winner was none other than the grizzly bear, Grazer, who received more than 100,000 votes. According to the park ranger, she has been visiting the area since she was a little girl in 2005.
– They can chase escaping salmon in many parts of the river or patiently catch dead or dying salmon after spawning, Mike Fitz tells the BBC.
A combination of skill and durability
Mike Fitz also says that the Grazer is a brave and aggressive mother who does not hesitate to attack larger male bears if they threaten her cubs in any way.
In second place in the competition was Bear Chunk, who is described as a large male with a low-hanging belly. In recent years, it has become one of the most dominant bears in the region.
But this year he couldn’t handle Grazer, who, according to the national park, has “a combination of skill and toughness that makes her one of the most formidable, successful and adaptable bears in the Brooks River.”
The reason behind starting the competition is so that park officials should be able to draw attention to the conservation efforts being made in the area. The Brooks River site has one of the largest populations of brown bears in the world, according to park ranger Keith Moore who spoke to the BBC.
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