Alaska: Bear Otis claims Fat Bear title for the fourth time
In Alaska, bear 480 Otis has claimed the Fat Bear title for the fourth time. The beloved brown bear won the vote at Katmai National Park.
The stocky brown bear 480 Otis was crowned the winner of the popular Fat Bear Week in Alaska.
This took place at the annual competition, which compares the weight gain of the largest residents of Katmai National Park in the southwest of the state ahead of their winter hibernation.
The heavyweight champion, who has already won the competition three times, was declared the winner late Tuesday evening, defeating runner-up 151 Walker by more than 6’000 public votes.
«The people have spoken! The rotund patriarch of the paunch has prevailed and pulverized the Baron of Beardonkadonk«, the park tweeted after the votes were counted. «While we celebrate, 480 is still chewing like a true champion.»
During Alaska's brief summer and autumn, pre-hibernation weight gain is particularly important for bears preparing for the long, icy winter, so that they emerge from hibernation healthy, if very lean, when spring arrives.
Adult male bears typically weigh between 600 and 900 pounds and can tip the scales at up to 1’000 pounds when they retreat to their natural dens for hibernation, which are often situated at the base of large trees.
While 480 Otis is not the largest brown bear in the park, his remarkable weight gain and personal story have captured the attention of thousands of bear enthusiasts who take part in the competition each year.
Not only is 480 Otis one of the oldest bears in the 4.1 million hectare park, but he is also missing two of his canine teeth, while his remaining teeth are, according to his biography, extremely worn down.
480 Otis also started feeding late and was very thin, making him the true underdog story of this year's Fat Bear Week. Bears eat as much as possible from nature's offerings before the dark months, particularly fish, berries and roots, grass and small land animals.
«He returned to the river later than usual. He was quite thin at the time, but he has developed well«, said Mike Fitz, founder of the competition and naturalist at Explore.org, to the Washington Post. «It's really wonderful to see how people's love for 480 Otis comes through in the competition and their campaigning efforts.»
In addition to his recent victory, 480 Otis remains one of the most popular bears in Katmai and has his own Facebook page.
