The fattest bear was chosen in Alaska - a mother with many children won (3 photos)

Katmai National Park in Alaska has announced the winner of its annual Fat Bear Week competition.





More precisely, the winner - the honorary title was won by the bear Scratchy, a multiple participant in the unusual championship.



Photo: N. Boak

“The voices of voters were loud. Let’s crown our queen Scratchy,” announced the organizers of the competition. Mother of many children Scratchy (No. 128) is one of the most formidable, successful and smart bears of Katmai. She appeared on the Brooks River back in 2005 as a little bear cub, and has since become one of the best anglers. Protecting her cubs, she often attacked much larger bears, even dominant adult males.



Photo: NPS Photo/K. Moore

In the final, Scratchy dealt with one of the favorites of the competition - the large male Glyba. 108,321 votes were cast for the bear—against Glyba’s 23,134. “Even at his leanest, Lump has significant fat reserves, especially on the back of his body. In the summer of 2023, he successfully used his size and confidence, and took the best salmon spots for himself,” is how the organizers described the huge grizzly bear.