Fat bear champions aren't born, they're made (all summer long)
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The view from the Brooks Falls cam on a good day of bear watching. Photo: Courtesy of L. Law
If you're not familiar with the brown bears of Katmai National Park and Preserve, it's OK. It is in Alaska.
Yes, but: A 24/7 livestream of several spots along the Brooks River where some of the park's 2,000+ brown bears congregate to gorge on the summer salmon run means you can become familiar.
Why it matters: The brown bears of Brooks River are an example of how wildlife can thrive in unspoiled habitats.
Driving the news: The bears have gained popularity in recent years through the park's Fat Bear Week bracket-style competition that lets the public vote on the "fattest" bear by comparing spring photos of the bears after they've emerged from hibernation to fall photos, taken after they've spent months packing on the pounds.
So welcome, future bear cam fans. Here's your guide to faking it this season.
How it works: The bears return each year to fish at Brooks Falls, which creates a natural barrier to salmon swimming up the river.
- Bears are identified by park rangers with three-digit numbers — plus some have nicknames — and tracked by dedicated livestream viewers.
- For cam watchers, bears are largely identifiable by size, fur color, scars, habits and personality.
- Five cameras positioned along the river went live last week and will be streaming through late fall.
Who to watch: Two-time Fat Bear Week champ 747, lovingly dubbed Bear Force One, is easy to spot because of his size — he's the largest bear on the river, estimated to weigh over 1,400 pounds at his peak of fall fatness — and ears. He has about half left on each side.
- Last year, he appeared to unseat 856, a large and aggressive male, as the most dominant, so it'll be interesting to see if 856 looks to reassert dominance in competing for the best fishing spots.
- Female bears tend to be smaller but that doesn't stop 128, known as Grazer, from fishing some of the best spots and challenging anyone who gets too close.
- 854, or Divot, is another bear easy for beginners to ID due to a deep scar caused by a wire snare caught around her neck (later removed by rangers).
- Look for 164, or "shower bear," to sit directly under the falls, a technique he seemed to invent in 2021, catching unlucky fish that fail to make the jump up the falls.
The intrigue: All eyes will be looking for fan favorite 480, or Otis, to return. He's one of the oldest bears to frequent the river and is often found on the far side of the falls, utilizing a seemingly Zen approach to fishing.
Reality check: Though bear watching is often joyful, it's important to remember that they are wild animals and nature can be cruel, such as when one of Bear 94's quadruplet cubs was killed by another bear last year.
- It's rare, but it happens.
Of note: Don't get discouraged if you don't see any bears the first time you tune in. It's early in the salmon run, but you can expect to see dozens of the bears most afternoons in late June and July.
How to watch: Find all the cams and occasional live chats with rangers on explore.org.