THE start of a contest to find the world’s bulkiest bear has been delayed after one of the potential candidates was killed by a rival.
Shocking footage showed the deadly brawl between the two beasts ahead of the annual Fat Bear Week in the United States.
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Both bears were competing in the tenth anniversary edition of the tournament, which pairs the heaviest bears in an online vote as they near hibernation.
The violent brawl, which was caught on a live webcam, involved a female bear named Bear 402 and a male bear named Bear 469 in a river in Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve.
Mike Fitz, a naturalist with explore.org, which transmits footage from the park, said the male bear’s challenge appeared “predatory” – as if he had been triggered “in the middle of something”.
He said: “This is a difficult situation to witness. We love to celebrate the success of bears with full stomachs and ample body fat, but the ferocity of bears is real.
“The risks they face are real. Their lives can be hard and their deaths can be painful.”
The footage shows the bears wrestling in the river, with the female being overcome and appearing to drown, before the male carries her body to land.
Fat Bear Week has since been pushed back a day to this upcoming Tuesday.
Park spokesperson Matt Johnson said: “National parks like Katmai protect not only the wonders of nature, but also the harsh realities.
“Each bear seen on the webcams is competing with others to survive.”
Meanwhile, media reports and explore.org’s TikTok account indicate that the iconic fat bear Otis, also known as Bear 480, has vanished.
Otis became the most decorated bear in the competition’s history after winning the first event and going on to win three more.
Voters are urged to select the animal that they feel “best exemplifies fatness and success in brown bears” in addition to the largest bear in each round.
Only a small percentage of the preserve’s more than 2,000 brown bears qualify for the tournament each year.
The current winner, Bear 128 (also known as Grazer), is already in the final eight, and this year’s biggest contender seems to be Chunk, or Bear 32, a favourite of the public.
Chunk, a 20-year-old guy, once ate 42 salmon within 10 hours.
More than 1.3 million votes were submitted last year and voting is open until 8 October, when a champion will be crowned.
What is Fat Bear Week?
FAT Bear Week is an annual event held in Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska, celebrating the resilience and survival skills of brown bears as they prepare for winter hibernation.
Each autumn, from late September to early October, the park showcases a bracket-style competition where the public votes on which bear has bulked up the most over the summer months.
These bears, primarily found at Brooks River, spend the summer months feasting on salmon to build up their fat reserves, which are crucial for their survival during the long hibernation period.
The competition not only highlights their impressive weight gain but also raises awareness of the bears’ ecosystem and the importance of preserving it.
Fans follow the transformations of specific bears, often comparing before and after photos, and vote on their favourite “fattest” bear until a winner is crowned “Fat Bear Champion.”
The event has grown popular worldwide, combining education about wildlife conservation with a fun and engaging way to connect people to nature.