Record-breaking bear wins online weight competition

Do you know that bears can sleep for six months? It sounds impossible, but it is true. Before winter comes, bears eat a lot and get very heavy. One brown bear named '89 Backpack' just won a special online game called Fat Bear Week.

Every year, people vote online to pick the heaviest bear. They think it is fun to watch bears get ready for winter. '89 Backpack' won this year because she is very big and strong. One person wrote that she has both "chonk and badonk" — funny words that mean she is round in a healthy way.

Bears do not eat food during hibernation. They sleep in caves or under trees for many months. Their body temperature drops. They wake up in spring when the weather gets warm. This long sleep helps bears save energy and survive the cold.

'89 Backpack' ate a lot of fish and plants this summer and fall. She is now ready for her winter rest. She will not wake up for about six months. When spring comes, she will be hungry and ready to hunt again.

Fat Bear Week shows us something interesting about nature. Bears are not really lazy when they sleep — their bodies are working hard to stay alive. People around the world love watching these bears and learning about them. It is a fun way to care about wild animals.

Do you think it would be nice to sleep for six months and skip winter? What would you eat to get ready?

Inspired by reporting from BBC News.