ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — In a dramatic turn of events, Grazer won her second Fat Bear Contest on Tuesday, defeating the very male bear responsible for killing her cub earlier this summer.
Grazer triumphed over Chunk, her opponent, by more than 40,000 votes cast by fans watching the live cameras on explore.org, set in Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve.
Fans vote in a tournament-style competition, starting with 12 bears, to determine which bear has accumulated the most fat and is best prepared for winter hibernation. The bears spend the summer feasting on sockeye salmon that return to the Brooks River, often catching the leaping fish as they attempt to jump over waterfalls to spawn upstream.
This is where tragedy struck for Grazer. Her cub was killed after slipping over the waterfall and being attacked by Chunk, one of the most dominant brown bears on the river. Grazer fought valiantly to save her cub, but despite her efforts, the cub did not survive. The incident was caught live on the park’s cameras.
Another death occurred on camera just last week, delaying the release of the tournament brackets by a day. Bear 402, a female expected to compete this year, was killed by a male brown bear the same day the brackets were to be unveiled.
Grazer, easily recognized by her conspicuously blond ears and long, straight muzzle, has a formidable presence on the Brooks River. According to her bio on explore.org, her fearlessness and strength have earned her the respect of other bears, who often avoid confrontation with her.
Grazer’s surviving cub from her third litter recently placed second in the Fat Bear Junior contest.
Chunk, one of the largest bears on the river, is known for his narrow-set eyes, dark brown fur, and a distinctive scar across his muzzle. This year, he used his size and strength to dominate the river’s hierarchy, securing prime fishing spots. According to his bio, Chunk’s aggression and confidence paid off — he once consumed 42 salmon in just 10 hours. His bulk is a testament to his success.
Adult male brown bears typically weigh between 600 and 900 pounds (270 to 410 kilograms) during the mid-summer months. By the time they are ready to hibernate, after a season of feasting on salmon, large males can weigh well over 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms). Females are generally about one-third smaller.
The annual Fat Bear Contest, which attracted more than 1.3 million votes last year, celebrates the resilience of the 2,200 brown bears that inhabit the Katmai preserve, located on the Alaska Peninsula. In addition to the live cameras, Katmai has become a popular tourist destination, with viewing platforms built along the river for visitors to watch the bears fish for salmon.