Otis the Bear

14/10/2023

11/10/2023

We've been Grazered...

Congratulations to 128 Grazer, our 2023 champion! This fierce queen ran away with every one of her matches (and our hearts) and has earned her very first win! 🙌🥳

Though she may be blissfully unaware of her new title in this imaginary competition, her success is real! In the bear world, fat equals success, and all the bears have been working endlessly to pack on the pounds needed to survive winter hibernation. It's a competition where all the contenders are winners. 🤩

Thank you to everyone who participated in this year's Fat Bear Week! We had a record-shattering 1,382,783 votes! There's so much love for our big-bellied, bulky bears! ❤️

Now it's time for our new champion to enjoy a post-meal nap (and successful hibernation). 😴

Photo credit: NPS Photo/F. Jimenez

06/10/2023

Today's the day. LFG!!!
https://explore.org/fat-bear-week

04/10/2023

Let's vote! Round #1 T-20m
https://explore.org/fat-bear-week

03/10/2023

https://explore.org/fat-bear-week

27/09/2023

The Fat Bear Junior Bracket matchups have been unveiled! In the first showdown, it's 901s yearlings squaring off against the 806's yearling. Following that, we have Cousins 909 Jr. and 910 Jr. going head to head. Be sure to cast your votes tomorrow, on Thursday, September 28th, at fatbearweek.org. may the chunkiest cub emerge victorious!

26/09/2023

2. By Hannah Bishop – We’ve all heard of the Lord of the Rings, but the Lord of the Falls is far superior in my book!

20/09/2023

Otis has returned to Brooks!

Bears from Brooks River are not tagged or tracked remotely, so their whereabouts are largely mysterious when they leave the river. Although we don't know where Otis goes when he leaves Brooks, he likely follows his experience and adaptability to finish building the body fat necessary to survive winter hibernation. This photo, taken along the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes Road on 9/13, gives us a rare point-in-time glimpse of Otis away from Brooks.
NPS Photos / M. Whalen.

18/09/2023

Time to vote in Fat Bear Week Poster contest.

Explore.org is the world's leading philanthropic live nature cam network and documentary film channel. Our mission is to champion the selfless acts of others, create a portal into the soul of humanity and inspire lifelong learning. Watch nature unfold live right now!

09/09/2023

09/09/2023

Going back in the socials, someone clipped a nice video of Otis's return yesterday.

09/09/2023

Otis came back from walkabout yesterday and has spent part of the night fishing in the office...

A snapshot from a livecam taken by user Zen on Explore.org

18/08/2023

Night fishing in the rain...

14/08/2023

Riffles camera sure has improved image quality this year....

14/08/2023

Great GIF from LunaCre on Explore.org comments system...
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ae40b556835423b74ae6711e1897051ff61104677e10a58f6c839ab3d0454a1f.gif

11/08/2023

‘Otis 100! It is believed Otis has eaten over 100lbs of Salmon in last 36 hours. He has been fishing non-stop!’

“Otis 100! It is believed Otis has eaten over 100lbs of Salmon in last 36 hours. He has been fishing non-stop!”

10/08/2023

Otis Interim Fishing Report for this fishing session: Arrival from Naps: August 8 5:12 p.m. Departure for Naps: August 9 12:22 p.m. Fish Count: 46 Fish + 3 Scraps + 9 High Grades + 3 Sniffs 19 hours = 2.42 fish per hour 46 x 5 lbs. = 230 lbs. 46 x 5000 calories = […]

09/08/2023

Overnight shift...

07/08/2023

Office meeting.

05/08/2023

Back in the office this morning.

480 Otis

29/07/2023

https://wapo.st/44WYNhU

Wild bears like Otis are supposed to return to the salmon run in late June, not July, but rising ocean temperatures and overfishing are in part delaying the arrival of the salmon.

28/07/2023

Otis is really entertaining his fans today.

28/07/2023

Breaking news: 480 Otis is back! 🎉 (You can breathe again.)

480 Otis has returned to Brooks River and he's catching fish at the falls. 🙂🐟

Bear 480 Otis, at around 28 years old, is one of the oldest bears to use Brooks River. He is a 4x Fat Bear Week champion, and people around the world eagerly await his arrival each year. Even at his age, he's still expertly catching fish and continues to surprise us. Certainly a bear to watch this season! 👑 🐻

Photo credit: NPS Photo/F. Jimenez

26/07/2023

Exciting news! Otis is back and is currently live at the falls. He's looking great and worth the wait.

Watch the live stream at: https://explore.org/livecams

26/07/2023

Reports are that Otis is back! Go to BF cam now for Otis Cam.

21/07/2023

Still awaiting Otis’ return…

23/06/2023

Announcing the 2023 Bear Pin contest winner!

Katmai National Park and Preserve has put its “stamp” of approval on the winning design for the 2023 Brooks Camp Bear Pin! This year's design competition winner is Alexis Pursell, a teacher who lives in Levelock, AK.

According to Alexis, a trip to the Alagnak River last year inspired her to enter the contest: “I visited Katmai Lodge in September for inservice training with my school district and it was the most memorable experience I have ever had. I truly can’t describe the trip as anything other than euphoric. I caught my first Alaskan fish, saw a bear wading in the water, and witnessed the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets. I decided to enter the contest for fun, and to honor the experience I had while visiting Katmai Lodge.”

Alexis, who grew up in Pennsylvania, notes that her connection to family inspired the look of the design. “The love that I have for Alaska and the love that I have for my family on the other side of the country is incomparable, and I often say that I wish I could mail myself and my experiences to and from Alaska to Pennsylvania. That really was the inspiration for my design.”

For over 20 years, Katmai National Park staff have distributed pins to visitors who complete mandatory bear safety training, also known as “bear school.” Wearing this pin serves as a reminder to the visitor of their training and is a visual confirmation to park staff that the visitor has been through the training session. The limited-edition pin with color is a bear booster pin, awarded to visitors who exhibit especially responsible behavior around the bears. The design of the pin comes from an annual contest open to residents of southwest Alaska, announced in January each year.

📷: a ranger holding the bear pin and booster pin
NPS/J. Woods

16/06/2023

Time to celebrate! The live-streaming cameras along the Brooks River are back! 🥳🎉

These cameras bring the stories of Katmai's brown bears from the park directly to you! If you want to prep for your visit to Katmai this summer or just want to follow the bear action from home, here's the link: https://ow.ly/I3KL50OPKNO.

Who knows what's in store this season? So pop the popcorn, grab a comfy seat, and enjoy the bears! 🐻🍿

Image credit: Courtesy N. Boak

14/06/2023

08/06/2023

Welcome to Brooks Camp! We're open for the 2023 season and looking forward to an exciting summer full of fish, bears, breathtaking landscapes, and visitors! What are you looking forward to from us this summer?

Image credit: NPS Photo/N. Boak

01/06/2023

We're keeping our fingers crossed for the explore.org bear cams to be up and running in time for this event. In the meantime, we'll make sure to provide you with regular bear updates and maintain a record of verified sightings!

Sightings As of June 03, 2023

225
747
32 Chunk
909 and cub
910 and cub
128 Grazer and both cubs
821 Pepper

31/12/2022

Farewell 2022. Wishing everyone a great 2023!
8/21/2022

24/12/2022

Bear Council 8/24/2022

24/12/2022

Chillaxing 8/24/2022

23/12/2022

Working Alice Rock. 8/21/2022

22/12/2022

Strolling by Brooks Falls platform on way to whirlpool bath. 8/21/2022

21/12/2022

Catch of the day 8/21/2022