Imagine not eating for half a year.
For the Alaskan bears of Katmai National Park and Poor ThingsPreserve, the long winter famine always looms large. So they eat. And eat. And attempt to grow profoundly fat, because they must subsist off their fat stores for months. That's why, in this wild northern realm, a fat bear is a healthy bear.
One of the largest and most dominant bears of Katmai's Brooks River — a salmon-clogged region of the park that's livestreamed on explore.org — is bear 32, "Chunk." As a large dominant bear, he earns access to the most productive fishing spots, allowing an already large bear to grow huge.
"By all ursine measures, Chunk has been successful. He's perhaps the largest bear at Brooks River," Mike Fitz, a former Katmai park ranger and currently a resident naturalist for explore.org, told Mashable.
Fitz estimates Chunk currently weighs 1,200 pounds. And the bear still has a strong salmon-consuming month ahead.
SEE ALSO: A violent event occurred on Alaska's fat bear livestreamA single sockeye salmon can pack around 4,000 calories. So a bear like Chunk, who repeatedly catches fish in the Brooks River, eats tens of thousands of calories per day. But on Aug. 26, Chunk outdid himself.
Avid bear cam observers, who document bear behavior throughout the summer, informed Fitz that Chunk ate a whopping 45 salmonin about 10.5 hours of fishing. Fitz has personally seen similar achievements, having watched the giant Katmai bear 747 consume 15 salmon in three hours.
"This is direct evidence of his hard work and success in preparation for winter hibernation."
The calories in each fish Chunk consumed likely varied this late in the season, as some fish have spawned (releasing eggs into a stream bed), and some haven't. Fitz estimates each fish contained an average of 3,000 calories.
"That would mean that Chunk consumed 135,000 calories in one day," Fitz marveled. "This is direct evidence of his hard work and success in preparation for winter hibernation."
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
These livestreamed cams capture an unfiltered view of bear behavior. Some of it is endearing, and sometimes it's harsh.
Chunk is often under the eye of the most watched camera, which is attached to a bear-viewing platform next to the river's waterfall. So his exploits are frequently observed. Earlier this summer, for reasons unknown, he attacked a cub that had fallen off the waterfall and passed near him in the river. In their hypercompetitive world, bears do sometimes attack each other or younger bears, but the impetus can remain uncertain.
"We get to see their moments of joy," Fitz said in an online live chat discussing the attack. "However, the webcams are live, the footage is uncensored. We also see bears face hardship, hunger, injury, pain, and even death."
In the coming month or so, Katmai's already rotund bears will continue to exploit any salmon left in the river. They'll lose up to one-third of their body weight during hibernation, so the more fat accumulation, the better odds of survival.
Each year, the park celebrates the success of these animals in their wild realm, an online event called Fat Bear Week. Chunk will clearly be a favorite. Though he'll certainly have some ursine competition.
"Chunk is poised to be a top contender in Fat Bear Week 2024," Fitz said.
Topics Animals
Best power station deal: Save $200 on Jackery bundle
Chrissy Teigen slams iPhone X feature because, well, somebody had to say it
One of the world's most polluted streets could eliminate vehicles in 2018
Pink prosecco cheese is a true millennial dream
How to unblock XVideos for free
'Stranger Things' almost killed off Eleven
Tiffany & Co. is selling a $9,000 ball of yarn and everything is ridiculous
Instagram will notify users when they're not disclosing #ad
Creators talk accessibility and building inclusive spaces at VidCon 2025
The iPhone X has the best smartphone display ever, says DisplayMate
New 'browser syncjacking' cyberattack lets hackers take over your computer via Chrome
Google's Pixel 2 XL update should fix the screen burn issues
Guy films brilliant ad to auction off his girlfriend's used car, but it worked too well
New 'Overwatch' hero Moira's abilities match her villainous background
AI action figure trend: What it is and how to make yours
United goes retro to retire its final Boeing 747 aircraft
Sexual assault scandal hits 'Overwatch' League team before season starts
Google charted air pollution street by street in parts of California
Best AirPods deal: Apple AirPods 4 for $99.99 at Amazon
'Gossip Girl' star Ed Westwick accused of sexual assault
Don’t shame people who don’t wear masks. It won't work.Save up to 30% on select products from The Home Depot and upgrade your learning space9 of the most hilariously British reactions to the heat waveThis dead hacker's account could be the key to the big Twitter hack8 essential keyboard tips every iPhone owner should knowThe struggle is real for Jon Hamm because he's hot9 of the most hilariously British reactions to the heat waveSeems like Miley Cyrus and Dolce & Gabbana are in an Instagram feud over Melania TrumpSeems like Miley Cyrus and Dolce & Gabbana are in an Instagram feud over Melania TrumpParamedic uses Google Live Transcribe to talk to lipreading patientsThis dead hacker's account could be the key to the big Twitter hackJapan to use cancerBeyoncé's dad tweeted about the twins and is probably having a great Father's DayCloudflare goes down, and takes the internet's security blanket with itNASA and ESA have released the closest ever images of the Sun, and they're mesmerizingTwitch shuts down the U.S. Army's fake giveaways for recruitmentHow to teach sustainable habits to kidsDisney has reportedly joined the Facebook ad boycott'Cursed' falls short of fantasy in a waterlogged Season 1: ReviewBeyoncé's dad tweeted about the twins and is probably having a great Father's Day Here are 25 speedruns worth watching this week Coming soon to a railway station near you: A big, fat Indian wedding Brave, sensual subway rider reads erotic fiction in huge font Polaroid reinvents its iconic camera at CES with Pop Alec Baldwin trolls Trump with Russian Attention internet: WikiLeaks is now anti Two determined women take on tech industry sexism in a new Secret ad NYPD responds to captain's absurd comments about rape and Tinder Does this ham look blurry to you guys? People have figured out how to make naughty art with erasable ink and hairdryers BBC morning show hosts introduce wrong guest live on air Man complains about women shopping in pyjamas, ignites fierce debate Amazon, FreshDirect will start accepting food stamps Who did this to this poor CES booth? The killer whale from 'Blackfish' is dead TVs are getting so thin, it's like they're disappearing Dell Canvas gives you Surface Studio abilities without the luxury price tag There's a room with a bunch of dudes watching VR porn at CES Has South Korea really hired an official to monitor Donald Trump's tweets? This is what you look like from Mars
2.9005s , 8231.296875 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【Poor Things】,Warmth Information Network