Oh, you know him oh so well, but maybe there’s a fact or two about our big, brown bear Otis you haven’t heard before. Check out these fast facts and Bear ID Guide compiled by our Brown Bear Cam Ops below:
Bear #480 is our own Otis. He is big and particularly good at fishing, but he’s a sharer. Otis was first spotted in 2002. While he is loves his fish – and is great at catching them, he patiently tolerates other bears around him while he eats. Otis is a mature dude at about 20 years old (bears live to about 25 in the wild). You can recognize him by his dark blonde coat, tan tipped claws, scars on both sides of his neck and a large scar over his right eye. He has wide set ears, and a long, straight and narrow muzzle. In the fall months, he has a walrus-like body and a relatively thick, wrinkled neck, which is the trendiest fall look for bears preparing for hibernation. He has been seen having a bit of trouble chewing fish in the past. Loose and missing teeth are common for older bears. But as our recent Otis-athon shows, it may slow him down but it certainly doesn’t stop him!
Tune into the Brooks Falls Cam and find Otis, and if you missed it, check out our ID Guide for Backpack here.
