Grazer - Katmai National Park
Grazer, also known as 128, is a brown bear and mother bear at Katmai National Park in Alaska who won the 2023 Fat Bear Week competition. Grazer has been a regular at the park since 2005, when she was first identified as a cub, and is estimated to weigh around 700 pounds. She has blond ears, light brown fur, and a long straight muzzle. Grazer has been nicknamed the "queen of corpulence". In the 2023 competition, Grazer defeated 32 "Chunk" in the Fat Bear final by more than 85,000 votes, receiving 108,321 votes in the final bracket. Grazer has kept her cubs for a third summer, which is longer than the typical two and a half years when cubs leave their mothers. She has been seen gorging herself on salmon during the summer.
Grizzly Bear Photos at Brooks Fall | Salmon Run | Suhas Malpe Photography
Grizzly mom and Cub
Grizzly bear cubs are born inside the den in late January or February, and remain with the female for 2 to 3 years. Mothers with small cubs are usually seen from July to September, when mating season ends. They bring the cubs to brooks fall during the salmon run but stay away from all the action. It is important for the cubs to know the feeding grounds. The mother cares for her young for at least two more years, feeding and protecting them. When the cubs are two and a half years old, they typically separate from their mother.
Grizzly bear - Belly flop
Grizzly bears belly flop into streams and rivers to catch salmon, which is a quintessential Alaskan experience. They may wait for fish to swim by, dive into the water, or use their mouths to catch them. In one such instance, I was able to take a photo of a grizzly bear lifting its paws and body-slamming the water. Katmai National Park and Preserve is considered the best place to see bears catching salmon. During the peak of the salmon migration in July, bears will fish along the Brooks River, but are especially concentrated at Brooks Falls.
Grizzly bear - Brooks river
Yes, weaker bears at Brooks Falls in Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve will sit and wait for salmon to swim to them. They can be found in several places, including the plunge pool or “jacuzzi”. As the fish weaken and die, bears will patrol the slower moving waters of the lower Brooks River in search of dead and dying salmon.
