Bear wins fame for getting fattest

Every autumn, one bear becomes a celebrity. Not for acting, not for winning a sports game — but for eating a lot and getting bigger. Welcome to Fat Bear Week, an online event where people vote for the heaviest bear they can find.

'89 Backpack won this year's competition. The name comes from a tracking device scientists attach to the bear to follow her movements through the forest. Supporters described her as having the "chonk and the badonk" — a playful way of saying she was very round and very strong.

Why do bears need to get so fat? The answer is survival. As autumn arrives, bears know that winter is coming. During winter, they enter hibernation — a deep sleep that can last up to six months. While they sleep, they cannot hunt or eat. So they spend the autumn months eating almost constantly. They catch salmon, dig for roots, and eat berries and nuts. Every meal becomes energy stored as fat in their body.

This fat layer is like a savings account for winter. When a bear hibernates, her heart slows down, her body temperature drops, and she uses almost no energy. The fat she gained in autumn keeps her alive through the entire winter. A bear that weighs more when winter arrives has a better chance of surviving until spring.

Fat Bear Week started in 2014 as a simple project by a wildlife camera network. Rangers set up cameras near bears and took photos all season. Then people online voted on their favorite bear photos. Soon it became popular. Now thousands of people from around the world visit each year to look at bears and cast their votes.

The competition is not mean or unkind to the bears. Supporters say that cheering for a "fat bear" is actually a way to care about these animals. When people vote for a bear, they learn about bear biology. They discover why weight matters for survival. They begin to understand that these bears are not lazy or funny — they are intelligent, hardworking, and determined to live.

In a few weeks, '89 Backpack will enter her hibernation den. She will sleep through the cold months, using the energy she built up during her eating season. When spring arrives and the snow melts, she will emerge hungry and ready to hunt again. Until then, her fans around the world can feel proud that they supported a champion.

Have you ever thought about how animals prepare for seasons? What strategies do animals where you live use to handle winter?

Inspired by reporting from BBC News.