Fat Bear Week celebrates the summer success of Katmai National Park's biggest residents.
The bears don’t start the year this big. When they come to Brooks River in midsummer, they have run down their fat reserves from the previous year. Then sockeye salmon,At this time of year, a dominant bear in a quality fishing spot can catch up to 30 sockeye salmon in a day. That’s roughly 150 pounds of fish — enough to make 600 sushi rolls.For bear cams viewers, a big bear belly is a source of delight. But for the bears, it’s a matter of life and death.
summer and early autumn has to carry them through their winter hibernation and the lean months of spring, before salmon return.The bears bulk up not just to survive, but to reproduce. Mother bears must store enough fat to carry pregnancies to term during hibernation and then nurse their cubs until summer. Male bears need energy for the mating season, which gets underway before the salmon return.Courtesy of C. RohdenbergEntered the den fat in fall ......
“Fat Bear Week is a celebration of success for these bears, and an opportunity to consider what they need in their environment,” said Fitz. “If we want bears in Katmai to remain healthy, we have to protect the salmon.”
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