Who will win the most fatty bear in Alaska? You can also vote for the king of Fat Bear Week (and it is more important than you think)

Every autumn the brown bears of the Katmai National Park, Alaska, become the protagonists of the Fat Bear Week, the competition that celebrates the most fat plantigrado. It is a real direct elimination tournament in which the public, connecting online, votes the bear that considers most impressive. In the end, only one conquers the champion crown, a symbol of those who have prepared themselves better for the long winter lethargy.

How the tournament works

The mechanism is simple: users observe bears through the famous Bear Cam and choose their favorite. In each “challenge”, those who receive the most votes passes, until the final. Thanks to these cameras placed along the Brooks River, you can closely follow the spectacular fishing sessions of the salmon, with the bears facing each other with binged strokes to accumulate the necessary quantity of fat.

The importance of fat for survival

For plantigrade, fattening is not a vice but a survival strategy. During the hibernation – a deep but not total sleep – the body minimizes the energy consumption: the temperature lowers, the heartbeat slows down and the breath even becomes slower. To resist 4 or 5 months without eating, bears must have put enormous reservations aside. That’s why Fat Bear Week is not only a viral event, but also an opportunity to raise awareness of the life cycle of these creatures.

The Kodiak giants

Among the most anticipated protagonists are the Kodiak, a subspecies of brown bear who lives in the homonymous archipelago. With their over 600 kilos of weight and a height that can exceed 3 meters on the rear legs, they are among the largest mammals in the world, comparable to polar bears. Despite their solitary nature, in this period numerous along the waterways gather, where the ascent of the salmon guarantees abundant food. However, there is no shortage of moments of tension: the clashes between rival males for the control of the best areas are often captured by the cameras.

A viral and instructive event

Over the years, Fat Bear Week has become a viral appointment, capable of combining fun, nature and environmental awareness. Behind the curious images of bears that become more and more rounded, in fact a more serious message is hidden: nature follows its cycles and fat of these animals is not an excess, but a guarantee of survival.

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