The female fat bear that's as dominant as the big, bad male bears

[Jilly_in_VA]

Welcome to Fat Bear Week 2021! Katmai National Park and Preserve’s brown bears spent the summer gorging on 4,500-calorie salmon, and they've transformed into rotund giants, some over 1,000 pounds. The Alaskan park is holding its annual playoff-like competition for the fattest of the fat bears (you can vote online between Sept. 29 through Oct. 5). Mashable will be following all the ursine activity.

Among the fat bear titans stands a fearless bear mama.

The fat bears of Katmai National Park and Preserve live in a world defined by an intense hierarchy. And in this pecking order the biggest bears, typically males, earn access to the best fishing spots.

But some female bears, particularly bear 128 (aka "Grazer&quot have bucked the hierarchy. This summer, Grazer, an aggressive bear, established her presence among the big boys in Katmai's salmon-filled Brooks River. When bears would move into her territory, she would often hold her ground, and sometimes attack.

"Grazer has been a force this year," said Mike Fitz, a former Katmai park ranger and currently a resident naturalist for explore.org, the foundation that runs the livestreamed bear cams. "There's an argument to be made that she is as dominant as the biggest adult males at the river."

https://mashable.com/article/fat-bear-week-dominant-bear-grazer

[Effete Snob]

1. 128 Grazer is something else

We've been watching her all summer at our household and she is pretty amazing.

She will go out of her way to chase down other bears that simply look at her the wrong way.

Here's a classic 128 Grazer moment. Watch her go down and bite 807's butt:

[hedda_foil]

3. She's something alright! Will any of the males have the sheer nerve to try to mate with her?

[Jilly_in_VA]

4. Somebody did

She's had cubs.

[hedda_foil]

5. That's true. They're right there with her.

[Effete Snob]

6. She's had cubs before

They say that she’s a whole ‘mother bear when she’s available.

She’s also really good at teaching her cubs to be independent early. Her yearlings can both fish better than most.

Honestly, we watch the Brooks Falls live cam more than regular tv in the summer.

Fat Bear Week is the last hurrah before they all go and hibernate.

[dameatball]

2. I just saw this on the news. Seems that many are watching. Fascinating. Bears being bears.