Join us for a Live Expert Chat on the #BearCam on Friday, October 10th at 3 pm – 4 pm Alaska Time; that’s 4 pm Pacific and 7 pm Eastern this Friday. Rangers Mike Fitz and Roy Wood will be answering your questions and discussing “Dead Salmon and Fat Bears.”
Key Facts:
- These bears eat up to 40 Salmon, or as much as 100lbs/100,000 calories of fish per day.
- Early in the season, bears eat the entire fish. Then after a few days they will high grade, eating only the most fat-rich parts: brain, skin, belly full of eggs, and the base of the tail. The lean, discarded remains are not wasted and are eagerly consumed by smaller bears, bald eagles, and even wolves.
- Salmon runs come in waves that are influenced heavily by commercial fishing and government sanctioned “escapement” policies put in place to ensure a thriving ecosystem.
- The Brooks River is part of the largest Sockeye Salmon run in the world and flows from Lake Brooks to Naknek Lake, a distance of roughly a mile.
Have a few questions for our rangers in Katmai National Park, Alaska? Join the Live Chat here, and enter your questions in the comments.
*Don’t forget! The Bear Cams are on a new time schedule now that we’ve transitioned into autumn. Click here for the full fall schedule.
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