Few things in life can be relied upon , but that the bear ofKatmai National Park and Preserve , Alaska , will bulk up with sang-froid occur October is one one-year glimmer of routine we can all hold onto . Fat Bear Weekis upon us for 2021 , and as the roll of possible succeeder has show , it ’s just as chunky as ever .
In case you ’re unfamiliar with this momentous occasion , Fat Bear Week seek to observe the fruits of Katmai ’s resident bears ’ labor as their summertime of gorging resultant in a near - sphere - comparable physique come fall . Before anyone has a prospect to chime in with their unsolicited opinions about bear BMI , the yearly Fattening is a life - saving transmutation in a brown bear ’s life as it prepares them for the season ahead .
During the summer month , brown bears can get ahead around1.8 kilograms(4 Sudanese pound ) a day as they enter hyperphagia , fundamentally an eating endurance contest with a goal to establish a hefty depot of fat . The inflate - shank - race is helped along by the Katmai ’s bountiful annual Salmon River run which saw arecord number of fishpass through in 2020 . While not the fatty of the Salmon River species ( king salmontakes the crown here ) , the sockeye is a worthy bite for taste to load up on juicy , and given they birr through in their million , it ’s well-heeled to see how the one-year feast yields such cuddly results .
Once primed and plump , the bears will step down from salmon sportfishing for a six - month rest , during which metre they can lose arounda thirdof their full body mass . Surviving hibernation is n’t a guarantee and so heading into your nap with majority to spare can be pivotal if a bear ’s tore - emerge the undermentioned bound .
As such , bald-faced bear are a drive for celebration and gratefully Katmai ’s 2021 Fat Bear Week Competition shows dandy hope for this year ’s objector . Of exceptional note are435 Hollyand747who gain ground the 2019 and 2020 competitions , severally , and show no signs of slimming down as the 2021 competition gripe off . 128 Grazer and 131 have also been turn heads among the IFLScience stave with light-haired tomentum to equal even that of apizzly bear . you may see all the bear in their stout gloryhere .
2021 also brought with it competition afresh , as for the first time ajunior contestkicked off stone the park ’s infant have against one another . 132 ’s Spring Cub came in first , earning them a promotional material to the adult contest .
Voting opens at 9 am ( PT ) on September 29 , so be sure to keep up with the final result as they unfold andvote for your favorite ! May the odds be ever in your fatness bear .
