The “greedy girl” surpassed the “guy with courage,” the park administration in the northernmost US state wrote on Instagram on Monday night. “Long live the Queen!” She received significantly more votes (more than 108 thousand) than her rival, with around 23 thousand votes. Twelve grizzly bears competed for the strange title in the national park over the course of a week. After six rounds of voting, only these two faced each other in the final.
Nearly 1.4 million votes were received from around the world – a record number, guards said. Online, bear fans were able to watch the candidates fishing for salmon on webcams, view before and after photos and vote for their favorites. In spring, bears are still thin, but they need to build up fat reserves until autumn to survive the months of hibernation without food. They can lose a third of their body weight.
Also eating behavior and temperament factors
Grazer was particularly successful eating salmon. National park rangers praised her as a skilled fisherman. Her body size was estimated to be a good 320 kilos. Chunk is said to weigh around 550 kilograms with his huge rear end. But it’s not just the estimated final weight that makes a difference; other factors such as eating behavior and temperament also play a role.
picturedesk.com/imageBROKER/Norbert Eisele-Hein A view of Katmai National Park in Alaska
Bear fans contributed comments about their favorites. “Chunk’s belly is below his knees,” joked one user. “I love you Grazer and all the bears who weren’t fat enough to win,” another fan wrote on the park’s website.
Last year, the mighty bear 747, nicknamed the Jumbo Jet, had the most fans. But this time he was expelled during “Fat Bear” week, and the young bear 806 Spring Cub, nicknamed “Prince Chubby”, old man Otis and voluptuous Holly also fell into oblivion.
Portal/Naomi Boak/Nps Bears in Katmai National Park – salmon are abundant here
Climate crisis could affect food chain
Katmai Park hosted “Fat Bear Week” for the ninth time. The competition aims to provide information about the ecosystem and habitat of the region’s more than 2,000 brown bears and point out dangers for the animals. Bears fish for salmon at Brooks River Falls from June to October. According to park rangers, it would be a catastrophe if salmon stocks dwindled as a result of the climate crisis.
According to park rangers, Chunk and Grazer enter winter with good fat reserves. The Grazer female had no offspring this year and was therefore able to use all her energy to “grease” her own eggs. From the rangers’ point of view, 18-year-old Chunk, with a visible scar on his snout, is one of the most dominant bears in the region. There is no prize for the winner, as was announced with a wink. A good winter rest is the reward.