Is your pick ‘em league not doing so hot? I’ve got a new type of betting game for you to get in on.
The Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska is asking people to vote on which bear living on the Brooks River at the park is the fattest.
The reserve has taken to Facebook to post two photos of a different brown bear each day as a before-and-after effect; the “before” photo was taken sometime over the summer and the “after” photo was taken more recently as each bear prepares for a long winter of hibernation. Users then vote on which bear gained the most weight. Every day, the “winner” of the match-up moves on to the next round in a March Madness-esque bracket
Everyone knows that bears are hibernating animals; they go into a state of inactivity during the colder months of the year. Their body temperature decreases and their breathing and heart rate slows. In preparation for what is essentially a three-month nap (that the entire human race is jealous of, I’m sure), bears will stuff their faces to stock up on body fat, which is then used for energy while they stay in their caves and do nothing. Science!
This is the fourth year that Fat Bear Week, as it’s called, has been running this competition. Organizers from the reserve assure us that this isn’t fat shaming, though -- it’s healthy and necessary for the bears.
"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," park officials wrote in a press release at the start of the battle on Oct. 3.
The park also runs a livestream so voters can keep an eye on their bear picks. It’s like the Kentucky Derby meets fantasy football.
Find the competition and vote on the chunky bears every day on the reserve’s Facebook page. The burliest winner will be crowned on Oct. 9.