The fattest bear was chosen in the US National Park
The "Fat Bear Week" was once again held in the Katmai National Wildlife Refuge. Employees of the institution are engaged in trapping animals from all over North America. In the reserve they are fattened, treated, provided with shelter during hibernation.
The competition was established only a few years ago. In 2018, the brown bear Badnose, number 409, won her second victory, stormy applause! In the final, she was opposed by a male under the number 747.
The bear Badnose came to the reserve in a deplorable state. In the summer of this year, she weighed only 600 pounds (272 kilograms), which is too little for a female of her age.
Katmai bears begin to gain weight in July, preparing for hibernation, which they usually fall into by November. The greater the bear's weight, the more chances it has to survive the winter, which sometimes lasts six months. On a salmon diet, bears gain from 600 to 1100 pounds in just 4 months, almost doubling their weight.
Also, the female won in 2015, when the competition was first established. She deserved compliments and increased public attention because of her clumsiness.
Employees claim that this kind of competition allows to draw public attention to the problems of both the reserve itself and the ecological system as a whole.
In the wild, it is rare for a bear to "work up" the right weight. On the territory of the reserve, it is possible to maintain a constant diet of salmon and high-calorie food. This diet allows the animal to gain the right weight before hibernation.
In 2017, the brown male Otis won. But after her two cubs grew up and left Badnose, the female quickly overtook her opponent.
Now the bear feels just fine. She continues to eat and prepare for hibernation.
Badnose caused a real furore on social networks. The bear is called cute and very playful.
There were a lot of users on the social network Twitter who decided to help the reserve with donations.