Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

This Alaskan National Park Is Celebrating Its Fattest Bears Heading Into Hibernation Season—And We Can't Get Enough 😍

This Alaskan National Park Is Celebrating Its Fattest Bears Heading Into Hibernation Season—And We Can't Get Enough 😍
Katmai National Park and Preserve/flickr

A national park in Alaska is asking the public to vote for who they think deserves the title of fattest bear in all of the Brooks River this week.

Katmai National Park and Preserve is home to an estimated 2,200 bears, and ahead of hibernation season they have been eating nearly non-stop to gain weight for the winter.

With that in mind, the national park runs a competition on its Facebook page encouraging the public to vote on its favorite weight gainers on the Brooks River – it really is something of a bear Champions League.



(Katmai National Park and Preserve/flickr)


This is the fourth year the competition has run, with its March Madness style format pitting bears against one another in the public vote until a champion is found on Fat Bear Tuesday (October 9).

And while it might seem a humorous endeavour, there's nothing funny about bears gaining all the weight they need to survive a six-month hibernation in which they can lose a third of their body mass.

To gain the weight, the bears gather at Brooks River to feast on sockeye salmon, and in peak season can eat as many as 30 a day.


(Katmai National Park and Preserve/flickr)


“For the bears it's serious," said ranger Andrew LaValle. “They're trying to pack on as much weight as possible to survive the winter.

“Life as a bear is hard. They come out of the dens in spring looking weak and hungry, and being fat in October or November is a sign of success and resilience."

Some of the favorites this year include Bear 747 as well as 435 Holly who has to feed two cubs. Meanwhile, 480 Otis cannot be counted out as the reigning champion.


The public can vote on the Katmai National Park and Preserve's Facebook page, but what should they be looking out for?

“It is open to interpretation!" said LaValle. “This is a fun way to educate the public about these bears, not a federal election.

“We simply urge people to vote for the bear that 'looks fattest', however they may judge that. Fat is a hallmark of a successful bear. Does that mean clearance with the ground? Number of rolls? Neck flab? Its up to you!"



The competition is already fierce, with fans showing their support for their picks:


Facebook


Facebook


Facebook


Facebook


Facebook

These bears are definitely loved:


Facebook


To help you keep an eye on some of the contenders, the park has a partnership with explore.org that has allowed for a 24/7 live stream of the Brooks River area during the summer months.



Who will be crowned the fattest bear on the Brooks River? We'll find out soon enough.

Don't miss your chance to vote for your favorite by heading to the Katmai National Park & Preserve Facebook page and "liking" your favorite bears!


Giphy


A version of this article originally appeared on Press Association.

More from Trending

Alex Cooper singing 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame'
@MBDChicago/Twitter (X)

'Call Her Daddy' Host Alex Cooper Gets Brutally Booed At Wrigley Field After Painfully Off-Key Singing

If there's one thing that all baseball fans can come together about, it's the importance of their traditions—and songs.

In the seventh inning at Wrigley Field during a match between the Cubs and the Cardinals, popular Call Her Daddy podcast host Alex Cooper was invited to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and brought two backup dancers with her.

Keep ReadingShow less
Linda Yaccarino
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

X CEO Resigns Day After AI Chatbot Grok Praised Hitler In Alarming Series Of Antisemitic Tweets

Linda Yaccarino—the former NBC Universal executive who later took the reins at X—stepped down as CEO of billionaire Elon Musk's platform after two years on the job just a day after Grok, the platform's AI chatbot, went on antisemitic rants and openly praised Adolf Hitler.

Grok issued deeply antisemitic responses on Tuesday following a reported software update that encouraged the bot to embrace what developers described as the “politically incorrect.” Taking that directive to heart, Grok responded with a series of disturbing posts that included praise for Hitler and even a statement expressing its aspiration to become a “digital version” of the Nazi leader.

Keep ReadingShow less
Black and white photo of a falling spider.
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

People Divulge Their 'Rare' Phobias That People Refuse To Believe

I am a SEVERE claustrophobic.

I have struggled with this issue for decades.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ted Cruz
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

'The Onion' Rips Ted Cruz With Brutal Headline After Yet Another Vacation During Texas Disaster

The satirical news site The Onion had social media users cackling with its brutal headline mocking Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz for once again being out of the country when Texas was hit by another deadly natural disaster.

Cruz faced considerable national backlash after he flew to Cancún while millions of people went without food and water as a result of the February 2021 Texas power disaster. At least 246 people were killed directly or indirectly; some estimates suggested as many as 702 people were killed as a result of the crisis.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk and Grimes
Kevin Tachman/Getty Images for Vogue

Elon Musk's Ex Grimes Calls X Platform A 'Poison' And 'Theatre' After Social Media Hiatus

Claire Boucher—who performs and creates under her stage name Grimes, but prefers her birth name or just "C" offstage—recently returned to her musical persona's social media accounts after taking a hiatus for her own well-being.

Once extremely active, she noted on X in April:

Keep ReadingShow less