“Lardaceous Leviathan Levels Chunky Challenger. The votes are in! You’ve crowned the Earl of Avoirdupois, bear 747, the 2020 Fat Bear Week Champion. 747’s voluminous visage eclipsed 32’s chunky chassis. No longer the runner-up, 747 fulfills the fate of the fat and fabulous as he heads off to hibernation.”
Congratulations to 747 for stockpiling calories during the salmon run and taking home the crown as Katmai National Park and Preserve’s 2020 fattest grizzly, despite taking most of July off from fishing to pursue a courtship of female bear 482. In an interview with local press 747 credited his highly trained muzzle eye coordination developed over years at Brooks Falls and general lethargy between feedings for his prodigious girth. Congrats to 747, have a good hibernation, see ya in the spring.
Life History
Few brown bears ever grow as large as the bear who shares an identification number with a jet airplane. When 747 was first identified in 2004, he was a relatively young bear, only a few years old and unable to compete with larger bears for the most preferred fishing locations. Since then, he has grown to become one of the most dominant bears at Brooks Falls.
Seven-four-seven is a skilled and efficient angler. He’s found most often in the jacuzzi or the far pool. Only rival males of comparable size, of which there are very few, can challenge him for fishing spots.
Although dominant bears can maintain their rank in the hierarchy through aggression, 747 typically keeps his status by sheer size alone. Most bears recognize they cannot compete with him physically and they yield space upon his approach. He was estimated to weigh more than 1,400 pounds (636 kg) in September 2019 and he looks to be at least that big this year.