bears

Two bear cousins became siblings this summer — and the new family fishes and lives together, led by 910.

From hangry to chonky: Fat Bear Week is coming

4:18pm September 21, 2023

by Bill Chappell

There can be only one — and they shall be rotund. The brown bears of Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska have been plumping themselves up, to prepare for a new hibernation season.

A large black bear known as 64F was captured by state authorities in the area around Lake Tahoe, Calif., on Friday after being responsible for at least 21 home break-ins.

National

'Hank the Tank,' the bear behind 21 home invasions, has been captured near Lake Tahoe

12:24pm August 07, 2023

by Emily Olson

Bear 64F is believed to be one of three animals who've broken into dozens of homes in South Lake Tahoe in the last year and helped themselves to messy meals, enchanting the internet.

A new bill would block the hunting of black bears in North Carolina sanctuaries

11:12am June 06, 2022

by Neal Charnoff

A Greensboro lawmaker has co-sponsored a bill seeking to block bear hunting in North Carolina sanctuaries.

480 Otis, who is believed to be around 25 years old, emerged from hibernation looking very thin and facing health problems. But he deftly navigated both inter-bear relationships and a salmon-rich river to put on much-needed weight.

Fat Bear Week has a champion: All hail 480 Otis

10:41am October 06, 2021

by Bill Chappell

Who is the fattest bear of all? For the fourth time, the answer is 480 Otis, a brown bear who didn't let his lack of two canine teeth stop him from packing on the pounds.

Health & Safety

Bear Attack Prompts Some Blue Ridge Parkway Restrictions

9:48am October 01, 2021

by Neal Charnoff

A bear attack has prompted some closures and restrictions on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville.

The survivor of a bear attack was rescued from a remote mining camp near Nome, Alaska, by a Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak crew earlier this month.

National

Repeatedly Confronted By A Bear, A Man Is Rescued After He Writes 'SOS' On A Shack

2:20pm July 23, 2021

by Dalia Faheid

A man in Alaska, who said that he had been mauled by a bear and that the animal had returned to his camp and harassed him every night for a week, was rescued by the Coast Guard.

National

A Teen Shoves A Bear To Save Her Family's Dogs

5:32pm June 01, 2021

by Vanessa Romo

Video of the terrifying encounter in a Southern California backyard shows Hailey Morinico using both hands to push the bear off a wall and break up the bear vs. dog confrontation.

"Holly" is the winner of this year's Fat Bear Week.

Sports

Stuffed With Sockeye Salmon, 'Holly' Wins 'Fat Bear Week' Heavyweight Title

10:30am October 09, 2019

by Tom Goldman

The annual competition is put on by Alaska's Katmai National Park & Preserve to choose the fattest bear. This year, Holly beat out Lefty in the championship round, winning more than 80% of the votes.

Bear No. 68 has packed on the pounds needed for a long hibernation.

It's Fat Bear Week In Alaska's Katmai National Park — Time To Fill Out Your Bracket

12:57pm October 06, 2019

by Tom Goldman

Bears preparing for hibernation need to eat as much as they can for the winter. In Alaska, this habit has turned into an Ursine March Madness with bears going head-to-head to see who is the fattest.

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A female Scandinavian brown bear with her cub. Mother bears take care of their young for a year longer, likely due to hunting regulations that protect bears with cubs.

Science

Mother Bears Are Staying With Their Cubs Longer, Study Finds

4:32pm March 27, 2018

by Rebecca Hersher

In many parts of the world, it is illegal to shoot a brown bear with cubs. The restrictions have made mother bears more likely to spend an extra year with their cubs.

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