All photos courtesy of the National Park Service

Katmai National Park & Preserve, King Salmon, AK – Who is the fattest bear on the Brooks River? On Wednesday, October 3rd, Katmai National Park and Preserve kicks-off Fat Bear Week 2018 to determine which gluttonous giant sits atop the brown bear oligarchy of obesity.

The annual march madness-style competition, now in its fourth year, pits commonly seen bears on the Bear Cam against one another to decide which bear indeed, looks the fattest. The public is encouraged to vote on Katmai National Park and Preserve’s Facebook page in head-to-head matches each day beginning October 3rd. The bear whose photo receives the most likes will advance to the next round, until one bear is crowned “Fattest Bear” on Fat Bear Tuesday, October 9th. – National Park Service [Katmai National Park & Preserve]

We’ve got a good ole, ‘which bear is the fattest?’ contest here and I’m not one to get all uptight around some completely normal images of bears ready to go into hibernation.

Some might call this a blatant display of ‘fat shaming’ but here at Unofficial Networks, we like our bears extra HUSKY. Just check out 409 Beadnose (*above), THAT BEAR IS DOING WORK.

“There’s no fat shaming here. In brown bears, large amounts of body fat are indicative of good health and strong chances of survival. The bears need stores of fat to help them survive hibernation, which can last for up to half of the year. Over the course of winter hibernation in the den, a bear could lose up to one third of its body mass. In preparation, this time of year the bears are entering hyperphagia, a state in which they eat nearly non-stop.  Since July, the bears have seen dramatic and transformative weight gain that will be on full display during Fat Bear Week.” – NPS

Again, thanks to the NPS for clarifying that this IS NOT a fat-shaming contest but rather a health contest. That’s what I tell myself when I devour an entire large pizza myself.

Find the entire NPS release here: It’s Jiggly Season: Fat Bear Week Begins October 3rd

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