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Holly, last September's winner.
In June she looked a little different.
Photo: N Boak / NPS
"She's fat, she's fabulous," the rangers congratulated Holly a year ago.
The stately animal had won the title as the fattest brown bear in Katmai National Park in Alaska.
Now the "queen of fullness" is back in the running alongside eleven other candidates.
For the sixth time, the national park is organizing the "Fat Bear Week", during which fans can choose the thickest bear in the national park online (here).
The winner will be announced next Tuesday.
Before and after photos from June and September serve as the basis.
They show how thin, emaciated bears transform into fat, well-fed balls in just three months.
This is urgently needed.
"During hibernation, bears can lose up to 40 percent of their fullness," says ranger Amber Kraft.
"Very fat with a low belly"
Description of candidate "747", also known as Jumbo Jet
Holly's competition is tough.
"Chunk" weighs around 500 kilos.
Candidate "747", also known as the Jumbo Jet, was estimated a year ago at a record 630 kilos.
Also this year he is "very fat with a low belly", it says in the description.
The competition between the bears is intended to educate people about the ecosystem and the habitat of around 2200 brown bears in Katmai National Park in the northernmost US state.
The region has one of the largest salmon deposits in the world, dozens of brown bears eat their bellies in the waterfalls of the Brooks River between June and October.
The bears can still find enough food.
Because of the unusual heat, the salmon trains came much later last summer, says Ranger Kraft.
The consequences of climate change worried her.
In this season, with normal cool weather, there was no shortage of calories.
More than 140,000 votes have already been cast at the start of "Fat Bear" week, and two bears are presented for voting every day. Five of the candidates in a before-and-after comparison:
Icon: The mirror
irb / dpa