Before and after: 12 funny photos of how bears change as they gain weight before hibernation (13 photos)

By autumn they need to gain weight: just like bears prepare for winter and stock up on fat.





Now we are thoroughly preparing for the autumn-winter season, and we are not alone in doing this. Bears are also actively storing up supplies in the form of fat for the winter, because they have a long, months-long sleep ahead of them. Every fall in the Katmai Nature Reserve in Alaska is especially interesting: here they choose the fattest bear that has gained the most weight before hibernation.

So what do the bears need to do to take part in the competition? They should all visit the Brooks River where the webcams are installed. Bear fishing is watched online here. If a bear, emaciated after hibernation, comes to the shore in the spring and autumn, when it is actively preparing for winter, it has every chance of becoming a winner. We invite you to look at the participants in the 2022 season and marvel at how the bear’s “before” and “after” hibernation changes. And, of course, find out who the winner is.

A bear named Chunk in July and early September



This beauty's name is Grazer, she's about 19 years old





This is how Walker prepared for the winter, his fur even darkened



Meet a young bear named 164: first caught on camera in 2019



This blonde is 335, she's only two and a half years old



Holly, 2019 winner: She's due to have a baby in the spring, which is why she's been trying so hard to gain weight



Here comes Otis, last year's champion.



Divot, another mother bear who enjoys fishing on the Brooks River



Bear 856 July 1 and September 11: he is the strongest male on the river



Teenage bear, two and a half years old, his name is 901



And this is how one-year-old babies become by the fall: this handsome man saw the world for the first time in the spring



And this is the winner of 2022: bear 747