Happy Thought for 29 September 2023

Have a Happy Thought: 

 

Imagine the rolly-polly-est, happiest bear you can think of. Then go visit https://explore.org/livecams/brown-bears/brown-bear-salmon-cam-brooks-falls' to watch a live-cam of the bears in Katmai National Park in Alaska.

 

And if you want, you can vote for the fattest bear of 2023 during Fat Bear week, from October 4-10, where the bears show off how good they’ve been at putting on that salmon (and salmonberry) induced weight over the summer.

 

In the midst of all the chubbiness, two really fascinating things have come out of this year’s preparation for fat bear week.

  1. A lost hiker was rescued thanks to people watching the live-cams
  2. The bears’ weight is not monitored by the bears stepping on scales – it’s done from afar by lasers (yes you have to say that in a Dr Evil voice)

 

But let’s be honest, you’re just here for the pictures. I don’t want to prejudice anyone’s votes for this year, so I’ll just share some images of previous years’ winners:

 

2015, 2018: 409 Beadnose

Due to the popularity of the first Fat Bear Tuesday, the tournament was expanded across a full week in 2015. In the first fully fledged Fat Bear Week, 409 Beadnose was voted Fat Bear Champion over 480 Otis.

 

2014, 2016, 2017, 2021: 480 Otis

In a spirited and close Fat Bear Week finale vote, the people once again chose 480 Otis as Fat Bear Week champion. 480 Otis had won the inaugural 1-day competition in 2014, and then the full week-long comp in 2016. 480 Otis came back again to win in 2021!

 

2019: 435 Holly

It took five years, but we finally got Fat Bear Week champion who was not Otis or Beadnose.

 

2020 and 2022: 747

Bear 747 looking like its jumbo jet name-fellow, weighing an estimated 1,400lbs (635kg) to take the win in 2022.

 

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