
Grazer at Brooks Falls, 2023 / NPS
This year's Fat Bear Champion is appropriately named Grazer and her victory would probably be particularly satisfying, had she any idea about Katmai National Park and Preserve's Fat Bear Week. During the contest, viewers watch the bears feasting on salmon at Brooks Falls, and vote for the largest, fattest bear of all. Grazer defeated her rival, a male named Chunk by 40,000 votes. Grazer won last year too.
Back in July, Chunk killed one of Grazer's cubs near Brooks Falls, after the cub tumbled into the water and washed up near Chunk. Grazer tried to fight off Chunk, couldn't save the cub. Chunk, an enormous bear, weighs up to 1,200 pounds when he's packing it on for the winter.
Voting for the Fat Bear event was delayed earlier this month after a bear-on-bear fight resulted in the death of one of the animals live on camera.
Grazer will continue eating until she senses it's time to clock out for the season, bedding down to rest for the winter.
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