The massive winner of the long-established “Fat Bear” competition in Alaska has been announced: brown bear 747 with the telling nickname “Jumbo Jet” was voted the fattest furry animal in Katmai National Park. He prevailed in the final round against the stately female 901, which was in the race for the first time. 747 probably caught the most salmon and thus dismantled all the competition, said the park administration in the northernmost US state of Alaska on Tuesday evening (local time).
Twelve brown bears competed in the national park for a week. In the final of the last two candidates, the veteran 747 came out on top with a good 54 percent of the votes. The rangers estimate the weight of the 18-year-old male to be up to 630 kilograms. 747 had already won the title in 2020.
For the eighth time, the park hosted “Fat Bear Week” this year. Online fans could watch the bears fishing for salmon and eating via webcam. Rangers put before and after photos of the candidates online. In the spring, after the hibernation, the bears are emaciated, and by the autumn they are clearly flaking up.
Over a million votes from all over the world were received this time, more than ever before, the rangers said. In the course of the curious competition, last year’s winner Otis, the luscious Holly, the massive Chunk (in German “block”) and other contenders were eliminated. Not only the estimated weight is decisive, other factors also weigh heavily.
“Fat Bear” followers put themselves to the test with comments on the net for their favorites. “We need more girl power, vote for Bear 901,” wrote one user. Another fan agreed that she was only six years old and had gained so much weight this summer.
Education about ecosystem
The park rangers also thought highly of the newcomer. 901 got off to a strong start in their first Fat Bear competition. “Great things” can be expected from her in the future, the park administration joked in a tweet about the second-placed bear.
The curious competition is also intended to provide information about the ecosystem and habitat of the more than 2000 brown bears in the region. Brooks River Falls in Katmai Park is a high-calorie buffet where the furry giants catch salmon from June to October. With these fat reserves, they can then survive the months of hibernation without eating. It would also be a catastrophe if, for example, as a result of climate change, the swarms of salmon decreased.
