Alaska: Brown Bear 747 wins "Fat Bear" election

Icon: enlarge

Brown bear 747: The picture shows him before he ate his winter fat

Photo: Katmai National Park and Preserve / dpa

Who has the most beautiful winter fat?

The winner of the "Fat Bear" competition in Alaska has been determined: A massive brown bear with the number 747 and the nickname "Jumbo Jet" has been chosen as the thickest animal in Katmai National Park.

He prevailed this season against contender number 32 with the telling nickname "Chunk" ("Klotz").

Twelve brown bears competed in the national park for a week; in the final of the last two candidates, 747 was voted the clear winner with a good 68 percent of the votes.

The national park in the northernmost US state announced that the "Count of Lushness" had been elected champion.

747 will now follow its fate to go "fat and fabulous" into hibernation.

The exact weight of the 16-year-old male is not known - last year the rangers estimated a record 630 kilograms.

This summer, the bear ate so much salmon that its belly seemed to touch the ground, the rangers said in a message.

In 2019 "Holly" was named the fattest female brown bear in Katmai National Park.

"She is fat, she is fabulous", the rangers congratulated the stately animal at the time.

But the female was unable to defend her title this year.

The park in southwest Alaska hosted "Fat Bear Week" for the sixth time.

Online visitors and bear fans were able to look at before and after photos for a week and vote for their favorites.

In spring the bears are still skinny, by autumn they have eaten up fat reserves for hibernation.

With the "Fat Bear" competition, the park aims to provide information about the ecosystem and habitat of the more than 2000 brown bears in the region.

This year, the buffet on the Brooks River, where dozens of brown bears catch salmon from June to October, was particularly opulent.

"The heaviest bear I have ever seen with my own eyes"

In a "gigantic tsunami" salmon - probably more than 800,000 fish - swam up the river, said biologist Mike Fitz on Tuesday.

There was so much food that the bears didn't even have to argue about it.

"Jumbo Jet" was a particularly good angler - "the most powerful bear I have ever seen with my own eyes".

The rangers suspect that the corona pandemic may also have favored the binge this summer.

There were significantly fewer visitors in the park and the bears could eat without being disturbed.

The fur giants can be observed from a safe distance via webcam.

During the "Fat Bear" week, they have a particularly large number of fans who put in a lot of comments.

"I had salmon for lunch today in honor of the Fat Bear election," wrote one user.

Another congratulated the number 747 on victory.

"I think you are really fat! Have a wonderful hibernation and dream of lots of delicious fish."

Icon: The mirror

wit / dpa