Big Bear Week postponed after bear-on-bear killing

A grisly murder has led to the postponement of Alaska’s annual Fat Bear Week.

The battle to become the plumpest predator was delayed after a young male brown bear killed an older female while hunting salmon on Monday morning.

The violent death of the matriarch known as 402 was captured during a live broadcast from Katmai National Park and Preserve, which serves as a prime feeding ground for animals hoping to pack on so many pre-hibernation pounds as possible before winter.

Viewers watched as 402 and her attacker, 469, fought fiercely until she was overpowered and sunk in the waters of the Brooks River.

469, whose distinctive blonde mark on his shoulder earned him the nickname “Patches”, then began eating his fallen opponent, later dragging his lifeless body out of view of the camera.

While Katmai Park Ranger Sarah Bruce told the Washington Post she wasn’t sure what caused Monday’s carnage, she said, “It’s not unusual for bears to eat each other.” others if the opportunity presents itself. »

Both 402 and Patches had been familiar to Katmai’s rangers for over 20 years, but only 402 had ever been in contention for the title of Supreme Big Bear.

A description of 402 bears posted during last year’s contest called the massive matriarch a “killer angler” and “mother of at least eight litters, more than any other bear currently in Brooks River,” noting that she had also lost entire litters of pups.

“Her life illustrates the triumphs and struggles of a long-lived mother bear,” the description reads.

Patches was given the unofficial nickname “Digger” by bear watchers in 2012 after he was spotted guarding the remains of an unidentified bear.

However, experts did not know if 469 was responsible for the death of this animal.

Katmai National Park officials acknowledged the brutality of bear-on-bear violence in a statement released Monday: “National parks like Katmai protect not only the wonders of nature, but also the harsh realities. Each bear seen on the webcams competes with others to survive. »

Fat Bear Week began in 2014, inviting people to vote on which Brooks River bear was the best in terms of bulking up that season.

About 1.4 million votes were cast during Fat Bear Week last year, and more than 10 million people tuned in to Katmai’s live broadcast, according to the Post.

In 2023, the Associated Press called the contest “the most watched popularity contest in Alaska.”

This year’s bracket of 12 Bears will be announced Tuesday evening.