SAN FRANCISCO: For the second year in a row, the brown bear sow, known as 128 Grazer, has been crowned Fat Bear Week Champion, beating out second place finisher Chunk once again, reported German news agency (dpa).
Grazer worked hard all summer, raising a cub and eating salmon to successfully survive the winter rest, the park administration in Alaska's Katmai National Park wrote on Instagram on Tuesday.
Grazer received significantly more votes – more than 71,000 – over her nearest rival, Chunk, who earned around 30,000 votes, making the win not a bare finish but a knockout.
Chunk weighs an estimated 550 kg and sports a striking scar on his snout. The 20-year-old has competed several times before, but is yet to win the top spot.
In July, one of Grazer's cubs was attacked and killed by Chunk after it was swept over a waterfall into his path.
This year's contest marks the 10th time the park, in southwest Alaska, has held the competition. Six females and six males were in the running for the title during a week of fierce competition.
More than a million votes were received from around the world.
Fans could watch the candidates catch salmon via webcam and see before and after photos, which showed how much weight the animals had put on.
These fat reserves will help them to survive their months-long hibernation through winter without eating.
The contest raises awareness of the ecosystem and habitat of the over 2,000 brown bears in the region and draws attention to the dangers they face, such as climate change, said the park.
