Bears line up at the falls on the Brooks River in Katmai National Park and Preserve, wishing to nab a salmon out of the air. (Felicia Jimenez/NPS image).
If you've ever felt hangry, consider this: Brown bears in Alaska awakened this spring after not eating for about 6 months. And no, "hangry" may not be a technical term. In this case, it's apt.
" That's the term I use," media ranger Naomi Boak of Katmai National Park and Preserve told NPR, speaking from Alaska.
However ever since the sockeye salmon run began on the Brooks River this summer, the bears have been feasting-- and ballooning in size. That implies it's time for Fat Bear Week, when fans of popular behemoths like Otis, Holly and 747 will elect the plumpest bear in the land.
This year's competitors ranges from Oct. 4 through Oct. 10. Here's a quick guide:.
Which bears should individuals watch out for?
Giants like 747-- whose name stimulates the jumbo jet-- and 480 Otis, a numerous Fat Bear Week champ, constantly impress. This year's bear bracket also uses bios, with details about the big animals' equally big characters.
In a striking development, 910 is taking care of both bears' cubs, after embracing her sis's offspring, 909 Jr
. There's bear 164, whom the park rangers consider one of the most ingenious bears.
" He is fishing where no other bear has dared to fish: right under the lip of the falls in front of what we call ‘‘ the jacuzzi,' which is where the most dominant bears like to fish," Boak said.
" He has actually grown tremendously in the in 2015," she stated, "so I 'd be on the lookout for him.".
" The Bristol Bay ecosystem and watershed is actually one of the last remaining healthy sockeye salmon runs in the world," said media ranger Naomi Boak of Katmai National Park and Preserve. (Felicia Jimenez/NPS photo).
" As heavy as possible," Boak said.
" We have a few of the biggest bears on the planet," she added. "The huge boars, the greatest guys, can get to be in between 1,000 and 1,400 pounds.".
Sows, or female bears can reach 700 or 800 pounds, she said. For the bears to go into hibernation securely, Boak said, "they need every ounce of fat they can get.".
Just how much salmon do the bears eat?
The recognized record is "42 salmon in 5 1/2 hours," Boak stated, and it was set by 480 Otis, one of the river's earliest and most widely known bears.
With a minimal timeframe, the bears pack on weight quickly-- and when they're young, it's even more dramatic.
" Cubs are born at 1 pound and at the end of their very first year, they could be 70 pounds," Boak said. "And in their second year they can end the season at 200 pounds.".
How can I watch the bears?
2 bear cousins became siblings this summer-- and the brand-new family fishes and lives together, led by 910. (Naomi Boak/NPS image).
Through the summertime and early fall, fans can follow their preferred bears on cams in the park, enjoying as they try to pull sockeye salmon from rapids and waterfalls along the Brooks River.
The Brooks River bears bring in around 10 million virtual visitors to Explore.org's bear cams each year. Last year, more than 1 million people voted for their preferred fat bear.
Individuals enjoy from their schools, offices and homes.
" We really love that teachers and children follow the bears," Boak said. There's even a Google type to let trainees ask concerns.
" You can follow the bears for years and really be familiar with their lives and their characters and their soap operas," Boak stated.
Why have Fat Bear Week?
The contest is fun-- however it's also a way to find out more about bears' life cycles, and to celebrate the healthy community at Brooks River and Katmai.
" The Bristol Bay community and watershed is actually one of the last remaining healthy sockeye salmon runs in the world," Boak said, "and it's simply gotten much healthier and healthier.".
The thriving environment has actually assisted bears reach maturity previously. And this season has seen something of a baby boom.
" We had 36 cubs show up here this year," Boak stated. For context, she said that in a typical season, the location would likely see an overall of around 100 bears.
How old are the bears?
Fat Bear Week participants encompass a large range.
" We don't discriminate by age," Boak said, noting that if a bear is living independent of its mother, it can be in the contest.
For the more youthful bears, a Fat Bear Junior contest precedes Fat Bear Week, giving cubs an opportunity to strut their things.
Among the adult bears, there's Sara, who is in her early 30s. Otis is in his late 20s-- potentially 28 or 29, Boak stated.
What happened in last year's Fat Bear Week?
Large and hungry: 747, the ruling Fat Bear Week champion, is among the most dominant males on the Brooks River. (Felicia Jimenez/NPS image).
The huge 747 dominated, turning back an obstacle from the female 901-- a young upstart whom the park referred to as "both exploratory and occasionally mischievous.".
Fat Bear participants are, naturally, blissfully oblivious to the countless individuals who view and support them.
It appears that the competition isn't immune to our times: An essential semifinal vote was recalibrated last fall, after organizers discovered "spam votes" that were suggested to send the blond-eared Holly sailing past 747 into the last.
Is winter really coming?
The autumnal equinox (on Sept. 22 or Sept. 23 in the U.S., depending on your time zone) signals shorter days and the looming winter. Fat Bear Week typically starts a week or more later on.
" We do not know exactly what activates the bears for hibernation," Boak stated.
Not all bears follow the same schedule. On the Brooks River, the majority of the bears go into hibernation in late October or early November. They emerge again in March or April, skinny and, yes, hangry.
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Expense Chappell - NPR.
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