1 00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:07,080 Speaker 1: On this episode of Newtsworld, I think we're going to 2 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:10,640 Speaker 1: have one of the most fun conversations we've had in 3 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:14,320 Speaker 1: the entire series of podcasts we've done. I'm talking with 4 00:00:14,760 --> 00:00:19,759 Speaker 1: former National Park Service ranger Michael fitz about Fat Bear 5 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:23,960 Speaker 1: Week in Katmai National Park and on his book The 6 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:29,200 Speaker 1: Bears of Brooks Falls, Wildlife and Survival on Alaska's Brooks River. 7 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 1: And I want all of you to know I was 8 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 1: as amazed to learn about Fat Bear Week as you are. 9 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 1: It's great to have Mike joining us, and I want 10 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 1: to thank you for joining me on Newts World. 11 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 2: You're welcome. It's a pleasure to be here. 12 00:00:57,400 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: So before we get to the fat Bears, I'm curious 13 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 1: what ud you to work for the National Park Service? 14 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:04,040 Speaker 1: Where did you grow up and how did you end 15 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:05,000 Speaker 1: up in Alaska. 16 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, I grew up in western Pennsylvania, north of Pittsburgh. 17 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 2: When I graduated from high school, I sort of knew 18 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:14,919 Speaker 2: that I wasn't quite ready to go straight into the workforce, 19 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 2: so I went to community college. I went to a 20 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 2: state school. I got a degree in parks and recreation. 21 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 2: I always knew that I wanted to be outside. I 22 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:26,039 Speaker 2: wasn't quite sure how to utilize that angle, though thankfully 23 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:29,080 Speaker 2: I had some really great professors at Butler County Community 24 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:32,520 Speaker 2: College and also at Slipper Rock University, I was able 25 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 2: to get set up with some internships at different places. 26 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:37,240 Speaker 2: I had a bit of an itch to travel, too, 27 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:39,319 Speaker 2: so so a bit of wanderlust, and I ended up 28 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:44,839 Speaker 2: interning places in Utah, for example, and various national parks 29 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:46,959 Speaker 2: before I got my first paid job. So I really 30 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 2: wanted to hop around the nation in a bit of 31 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:53,160 Speaker 2: a self serving sense, because I wanted to explore all 32 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 2: of these different places. So I got my first seasonal 33 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 2: paid position as a ranger at Asctic Island National Seashore 34 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 2: on the Maryland Virginia border, which is a very beautiful 35 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:05,280 Speaker 2: Barrier Island, and then from there went to different national parks, 36 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 2: worked in nine total before i've kind of transitioned into 37 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:10,079 Speaker 2: my current position with Exploder word. 38 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:13,520 Speaker 1: So how long were you in Alaska? 39 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 2: I started working in Alaska in two thousand and seven 40 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 2: and then I spent sort of my last full year 41 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 2: there in twenty fifteen. But I've been able to stay 42 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 2: connected to my national park through webcams, which is this 43 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 2: again this technology that I really would have envisioned utilizing 44 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 2: as a younger individual. It's a remarkable experience to get 45 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 2: to watch, you know, brown bears through webcams. It's a 46 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 2: remarkable series to get to watch them in person. But 47 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:43,360 Speaker 2: the webcams provide, you know, a person like me who's 48 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:46,240 Speaker 2: no longer in that place, no longer Aproserver Incat My 49 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 2: National Park, the opportunity to stay connected with the park 50 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 2: and its brown bears. 51 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:55,920 Speaker 1: These webcams enable people all over the world to stay 52 00:02:55,960 --> 00:03:00,239 Speaker 1: in touch with beautiful places and with exciting animals. Yeah. 53 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:03,360 Speaker 2: Absolutely, On Exploded Org for example alone, you know, we 54 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:06,120 Speaker 2: have something like one hundred and eighty live cameras. Some 55 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 2: of them are seasonal, some are active year round. Our 56 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:11,080 Speaker 2: most popular webcams, though, are the ones at Brooks River 57 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:14,359 Speaker 2: Incat My National Park. We have several webcams there, and 58 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:17,119 Speaker 2: you can go to Exploded Org right now tune into 59 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 2: any of our live cams if you want to and 60 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:22,919 Speaker 2: watch various animals. Like this morning, I was watching polar 61 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 2: bears in Manitoba. But later this afternoon, once it gets 62 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 2: a little bit lighter in Alaska, I'm going to be 63 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:30,080 Speaker 2: tuning in to watch the brown bears. Of course, it's 64 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 2: a way to find yourself in different places. And even 65 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 2: you know, we have cameras in Africa, we have many 66 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 2: underwater cameras. 67 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 1: Do you have a particular interest in bears. I do. 68 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 2: I didn't think that I would when I went to Alaska. 69 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 2: I was looking for sort of like that big wildland experience, 70 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 2: and I was blown away by the wildness of Alaska. 71 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 2: But I quickly fell in love with the bears and 72 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:55,120 Speaker 2: their individuality as well. That was something that I really 73 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 2: wasn't expecting when I went there my first summer. But 74 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 2: watching bears at Brooks River is really unique because many 75 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:05,000 Speaker 2: of the same bears that we see come back year 76 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:08,000 Speaker 2: after year, so we get to know them as individuals. 77 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 2: They're not anonymous bears on the landscape, and many of 78 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 2: them come back for their entire lives, so we get 79 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:16,479 Speaker 2: to see them as young cubs and we get to 80 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:19,440 Speaker 2: see them mature into older adults. 81 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: When you're watching them. Are their unique differences in personalities? 82 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:26,920 Speaker 1: Are the bears different from each other? Yes? 83 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:30,880 Speaker 2: Absolutely, they are motivated by the same basic needs that 84 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:34,200 Speaker 2: we are, of course, you know motivations of reproduction and food, 85 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:38,560 Speaker 2: for instance, but they face different pressures and each individual 86 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:42,680 Speaker 2: meets those challenges in a different way. For example, so 87 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 2: like a mother bear, for instance, one that is fairly 88 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:48,360 Speaker 2: popular with the webcam audience. She is numbered one to eight, 89 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:51,400 Speaker 2: but she has a nickname who's called Grazer. She is 90 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:55,640 Speaker 2: kind of like the archetypal mama bear, highly defensive. It 91 00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 2: seems like sometimes a bear just has to look in 92 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:00,520 Speaker 2: her direction and boom, she charges them and hit them 93 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 2: in defense of her cubs. So she has a personality 94 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:08,080 Speaker 2: that is somewhat assertive and willing to engage in risk 95 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:11,360 Speaker 2: almost And you have other big adult males along the 96 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:13,200 Speaker 2: river who are kind of in the same way, but 97 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:15,480 Speaker 2: they're adult males. They're not raising cubs. They're vying for 98 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 2: dominance and access to the best fishing spots. There are 99 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:21,640 Speaker 2: other bears that maybe are a bit more curious or innovative. 100 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:25,359 Speaker 2: We've seen bears try to utilize the waterfall in a 101 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:29,280 Speaker 2: different way that we hadn't seen before. So those are 102 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 2: I think some of the fascinating stories that keep me 103 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 2: coming back to watching bears at Brooks Rivers that they 104 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:37,960 Speaker 2: are sort of all unique individuals. You'll see some that 105 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 2: are more aggressive than others, some of them that are 106 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 2: more shy than others. Of course, they're all bears, but 107 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 2: once you get to know them, it's like kind of 108 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:46,719 Speaker 2: going into a room full of people for the first time. 109 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:48,520 Speaker 2: At first, you look around and it's like, oh, okay, 110 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 2: everyone's a person. But once you meet those people, you 111 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:53,440 Speaker 2: see that there's vast differences between us. 112 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 1: In terms of mama bear protecting the cubs. Are cubs 113 00:05:57,160 --> 00:05:59,520 Speaker 1: in real danger from large. 114 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:04,720 Speaker 2: Male the danger is real for them, So not all 115 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:08,120 Speaker 2: male bears are out there looking to kill cubs. A 116 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:10,600 Speaker 2: lot of the instances that we've seen of that phenomenon, 117 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:15,440 Speaker 2: which biologists call in fanticide, is somewhat a product of circumstance. 118 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:19,599 Speaker 2: In fact, one happened this summer where Grazer's cubs washed 119 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:22,360 Speaker 2: over the waterfall and they washed right into this big 120 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 2: adult male who's nicknamed Chunk. He was down below the 121 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 2: waterfall fishing, mining of his own business. All of a 122 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:29,200 Speaker 2: sudden he found this cub basically in his lap, and 123 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 2: he ended up attacking it. Grazer rushed in to defend 124 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:34,280 Speaker 2: her cub. She saved its life at that time, but 125 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:38,800 Speaker 2: unfortunately it died later from its injuries. So yeah, male 126 00:06:38,839 --> 00:06:42,320 Speaker 2: bears will attack cubs occasionally. Sometimes biologists think it could 127 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:45,800 Speaker 2: be motivated by future mating opportunities, because if a mother 128 00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:48,159 Speaker 2: bear early enough in summer loses her litter, then she 129 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:50,880 Speaker 2: might return to estris and that could provide a male 130 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 2: bear with the opportunity to mate with her. But in 131 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:55,080 Speaker 2: a lot of situations, it's just kind of like a 132 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:56,760 Speaker 2: cub being in the wrong place at the wrong time. 133 00:06:56,760 --> 00:06:58,960 Speaker 2: And I think bears usually have an instinct to chase 134 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:01,640 Speaker 2: small fur things that might look like food, and that 135 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:03,080 Speaker 2: can include bear cubs as well. 136 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:07,279 Speaker 1: It's curious certainly with lions. For example, if a new 137 00:07:07,279 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 1: male lion takes over a group, you will consciously hunt 138 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 1: down and kill all the cubs, partly I think, to 139 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 1: get the mother to go back and estres, and partly 140 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:21,520 Speaker 1: to eliminate whatever the other male lions genetic pattern was 141 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:25,240 Speaker 1: as a future competitor. But they're much more social, I think, 142 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 1: than bears are They. 143 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:29,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, lions are social animals and that they live and 144 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:32,640 Speaker 2: basically in like permanent social groups. They'll fuse together, they'll 145 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:36,520 Speaker 2: split from time to time. Brown bears are generally considered 146 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:40,120 Speaker 2: to be solitary creatures, but we also know that they 147 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 2: have social adaptations that allow them to interact with one another, 148 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:46,720 Speaker 2: and that's fully on display again at Brooks River, because 149 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:49,640 Speaker 2: we can have as many as eighty brown bears gathering 150 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 2: at the river across the entirety of summer. Some summer's 151 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:55,240 Speaker 2: more than one hundred individual bears have been identified, and 152 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:57,800 Speaker 2: during the peak of the same and migration, like in 153 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:01,600 Speaker 2: mid to late July, for instance, we've seen twenty to 154 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:05,000 Speaker 2: forty bears fishing at Brooks Falls. So if bears didn't 155 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:08,320 Speaker 2: have social adaptations to communicate with one another and decide, 156 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:11,480 Speaker 2: you know, who's maybe more dominant than who, who is 157 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:14,640 Speaker 2: more friendly than who, it would just be chaos at 158 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:18,600 Speaker 2: the falls. There's definitely conflict that they experience in those situations, 159 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:22,040 Speaker 2: but it's much more orderly than you might suspect just 160 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:24,680 Speaker 2: by thinking about them as solitary creatures. They definitely have 161 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:27,360 Speaker 2: a lot of adaptations that allow them to takeet along. 162 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 1: There must be an enormous number of salmon coming up 163 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 1: that river. 164 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 2: It's incredible to see. If you have the chance to 165 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:36,840 Speaker 2: visit during the peak of the salmon migration, I would 166 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 2: encourage anybody to do it. It's unlike anything else that 167 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:42,640 Speaker 2: I've seen and It really opened up my eyes to 168 00:08:42,720 --> 00:08:47,280 Speaker 2: what healthy watersheds look like. So many salmon populations across 169 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:51,280 Speaker 2: in North America are fairly poorly but in this part 170 00:08:51,360 --> 00:08:54,040 Speaker 2: of Alaska, Brooks River is part of the Bristol Bay, 171 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:56,960 Speaker 2: the Sake salmon system and that fishery, and this is 172 00:08:56,960 --> 00:09:01,079 Speaker 2: really like the last great salmon run left on the planet. 173 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:03,840 Speaker 2: This year, more than fifty million salmon returned to the 174 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:07,280 Speaker 2: Bristol Bay area, and that includes catch and the fish 175 00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:10,040 Speaker 2: that were allowed to escape upstream to sustain the runs 176 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:13,280 Speaker 2: of the State of Alaska manages that fishery very carefully 177 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:17,600 Speaker 2: for sustainability, and every year in Brooks River, we don't 178 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:19,920 Speaker 2: have a specific account on how many salmon go up 179 00:09:19,960 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 2: the river, but it's usually a few hundred thousand. Sometimes 180 00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:25,920 Speaker 2: it can be more than a half million. And when 181 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:28,280 Speaker 2: salmon are thick in the water, it looks like the 182 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:32,120 Speaker 2: water is more fish than water. It's truly incredible to see. 183 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 1: And if I understand it correctly, as they're entering the river, 184 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:42,880 Speaker 1: they're really filled with resources, so eating them early is 185 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:44,680 Speaker 1: a big deal. By the time they get up there 186 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 1: and they breed or they release the eggs, they're actually 187 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:50,160 Speaker 1: not very interesting to the bears because they've given up 188 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:52,120 Speaker 1: most of their nutrient value. 189 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:55,400 Speaker 2: And is that accurate, Yeah, that's correct. When salmon returned 190 00:09:55,440 --> 00:09:58,560 Speaker 2: from the ocean, they're full of fat because when they 191 00:09:58,559 --> 00:10:01,120 Speaker 2: re enter fresh water, they stop eating. So Pacific salmon 192 00:10:01,160 --> 00:10:04,080 Speaker 2: have basically a round trip journey once in their life 193 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:06,400 Speaker 2: that they make. They're born in freshwater, go to the 194 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:08,480 Speaker 2: ocean to get big, and they come back to freshwater 195 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:11,000 Speaker 2: to spawn, and then they die after spawning. So they 196 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:13,400 Speaker 2: only reproduce once in their life and they don't eat 197 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:15,760 Speaker 2: when they enter fresh water. So when they're coming back, 198 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:19,720 Speaker 2: they are fueling that upstream migration and spawning effort entirely 199 00:10:19,760 --> 00:10:22,000 Speaker 2: on whatever energy reserves they have in their body. 200 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:25,240 Speaker 1: Is it only the females that come back or why 201 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 1: would the males come back or do they have to 202 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:28,920 Speaker 1: come back to fertilize the eggs. 203 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:31,319 Speaker 2: Yeah, they're coming back to fertilize the eggs. So spawning 204 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:34,800 Speaker 2: happens in fresh water. At the nest, the females, they'll 205 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:37,040 Speaker 2: dig a series of nests with their tail. The males 206 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:40,000 Speaker 2: will saddle up alongside the females. When the female was ready, 207 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:42,800 Speaker 2: she releases her eggs. The males releases his milk. It's 208 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:45,559 Speaker 2: a big cloud of things going on in the water, 209 00:10:45,960 --> 00:10:49,520 Speaker 2: but external spawning is what happened rather than internal fertilization 210 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:51,760 Speaker 2: with those eggs. But it's all in one shot. It's 211 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:53,959 Speaker 2: putting all your eggs in one basket, so to speak. 212 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:55,760 Speaker 2: But for a bear, if you can catch a fish 213 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:59,080 Speaker 2: early in summer, that's incredibly rich in calories and. 214 00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:00,280 Speaker 1: You're also getting the eggs. 215 00:11:00,760 --> 00:11:04,800 Speaker 2: Yes, the eggs are nothing but fish oil. So it's 216 00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:19,680 Speaker 2: something that bears relish. 217 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:29,240 Speaker 1: Now. The bears themselves are the second largest bear species 218 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:30,680 Speaker 1: in the world after polar bears. 219 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:33,880 Speaker 2: That's right in Catma National Park. You're looking at some 220 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:36,079 Speaker 2: of the largest bears in the world. The bears in 221 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:39,760 Speaker 2: Kodiak Island are very closely related to catwized bears and 222 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 2: they're just separated by about thirty miles of water across 223 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:45,679 Speaker 2: the Schellikoff Strait and the Pacific. So the bears and 224 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:48,880 Speaker 2: kodiac probably get bigger on average, and polar bears overall 225 00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:52,320 Speaker 2: the absolute largest bears ever measured. But we have brown 226 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:54,600 Speaker 2: bears at Brooks River right now that are pushing twelve 227 00:11:54,679 --> 00:11:57,800 Speaker 2: hundred pounds, maybe thirteen hundred pounds at this point in 228 00:11:57,880 --> 00:11:59,480 Speaker 2: of the year. So some absolute giants. 229 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:03,640 Speaker 1: Polar bears are enormous and large. Brown bears, Now, what's 230 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:07,000 Speaker 1: the difference between a brown bear and a grizzly. 231 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:11,800 Speaker 2: Bear just geographic place. Essentially they're the same species, so 232 00:12:11,920 --> 00:12:15,440 Speaker 2: scientific name Ursus arctos. It depends on what part of 233 00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:18,360 Speaker 2: North America you're in. Generally, if you're looking at a 234 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:22,560 Speaker 2: brown bear that's living in the interior of North America, 235 00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:25,520 Speaker 2: away from coastal regions where they may have accessed to salmon, 236 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:27,960 Speaker 2: usually people are calling those grizzlies. So if you go 237 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:31,480 Speaker 2: to Yellowstone, for instance, Glacier National Park, the Northern Rockies, 238 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:34,360 Speaker 2: or maybe even d Naali National Park in Alaska, usually 239 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:37,439 Speaker 2: people are referring those to grizzlies. In North America, brown 240 00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:41,080 Speaker 2: bears the common name that refers to Ursus arctos that 241 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:44,559 Speaker 2: lives more along the coast, has access to marine food resources. 242 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:46,760 Speaker 2: But they are essentially the same species. 243 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:51,200 Speaker 1: But by mythology at least, grizzly bears have bad tempers. 244 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:54,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, there are differences in body size and temperament, and 245 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:57,840 Speaker 2: each population of bears has sort of its own culture 246 00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:01,160 Speaker 2: in a sense, So bears that live in Yellowstone have 247 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:05,040 Speaker 2: this reputation that's well deserved of being more defensive. I 248 00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:07,000 Speaker 2: think they have to sometimes work a little bit harder 249 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:11,480 Speaker 2: for food. Their populations are at lower densities historically and currently, 250 00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:15,600 Speaker 2: So when you have more competition for food, for instance, 251 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:18,720 Speaker 2: or you have less space to find cover, if you 252 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:20,840 Speaker 2: feel threatened, maybe you feel like you need to stand 253 00:13:20,920 --> 00:13:24,240 Speaker 2: your ground for instance, or be more defensive than those situations. 254 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:27,680 Speaker 2: So a brown bear in Catmi generally is more tolerant 255 00:13:27,679 --> 00:13:30,800 Speaker 2: of other bears and sometimes of people than you would 256 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:33,000 Speaker 2: find like a grizzly bear in Yellowstone. 257 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:35,320 Speaker 1: So in a sense, when grizzlies have to actually hunt 258 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:38,080 Speaker 1: for nutrition and cat might they have to stand near 259 00:13:38,120 --> 00:13:39,040 Speaker 1: the salmon. 260 00:13:39,679 --> 00:13:41,520 Speaker 2: And cat might still have to work hard in a sense. 261 00:13:41,559 --> 00:13:44,280 Speaker 2: But it's kind of like one of the richest landscapes 262 00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:45,880 Speaker 2: that a bear could be in. So if you were 263 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:48,000 Speaker 2: a bear just to be lucky enough to be born 264 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:51,160 Speaker 2: in cat My, if you could measure wealth, or if 265 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:53,560 Speaker 2: brown bears could measure wealth, I think they would be like, Hey, 266 00:13:53,720 --> 00:13:56,160 Speaker 2: Brooks River, Catmi is it because it's almost like the 267 00:13:56,240 --> 00:13:59,640 Speaker 2: ultimate bear diet. Some bears sit at the waterfall all 268 00:13:59,679 --> 00:14:02,480 Speaker 2: summer in wait for salmon to come to them. They 269 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 2: may go off and forage on berries and things like that, 270 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:07,320 Speaker 2: and there's alternative foods available to them, but it is 271 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:09,480 Speaker 2: an incredibly rich landscape for a brown bear. 272 00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:15,120 Speaker 1: Bears will eat lots of berries just before they start hibernating, 273 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:19,400 Speaker 1: and then somehow that lengthens their ability to hibernate. Is 274 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:22,440 Speaker 1: that a noticeable behavior in cap Mei or is that 275 00:14:22,520 --> 00:14:24,120 Speaker 1: something more like a yellowstone. 276 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:27,400 Speaker 2: It may depend on the bear population itself. Anywhere that 277 00:14:27,520 --> 00:14:29,880 Speaker 2: bears can find access to berries, they're going to eat 278 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:31,960 Speaker 2: them because they're super high in sugar, and sugar is 279 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:33,800 Speaker 2: one of those foods that helps bears to put on 280 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:37,520 Speaker 2: the fat reserves that are necessary for hibernation. If you're 281 00:14:37,520 --> 00:14:39,960 Speaker 2: eating a really high protein diet, it's good for your 282 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:42,840 Speaker 2: muscle mass, not so great for putting on fat reserves. 283 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:45,880 Speaker 2: But bears, you know, select foods at different times of 284 00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:48,760 Speaker 2: the year so they can get fat, they can get sugar, 285 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:51,920 Speaker 2: they can get protein, and some bear populations, like in 286 00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:54,480 Speaker 2: the Northern Rockies and Glacier National Park, for instance, the 287 00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:56,800 Speaker 2: bears there this time of the year or largely getting 288 00:14:56,800 --> 00:14:59,240 Speaker 2: fat on berries, and the fat or a bear is 289 00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:02,760 Speaker 2: the better set up it is to survive winter hibernation 290 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:05,280 Speaker 2: because that's the fuel that allows them to have the 291 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:08,160 Speaker 2: energy in the metabolic water to survive that period of 292 00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:09,680 Speaker 2: time without eating or drinking. 293 00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:12,760 Speaker 1: Bears go through a cycle that is sort of feast 294 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:14,720 Speaker 1: and famine. Oh. 295 00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:18,720 Speaker 2: Absolutely, it's amazing what their bodies are adapted to endure. 296 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:21,360 Speaker 2: When they're in hibernation. They don't eat, they don't drink, 297 00:15:21,400 --> 00:15:24,400 Speaker 2: they don't urinate, they don't defecate. But mother bears will 298 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:27,200 Speaker 2: give birth, they will lactate and nurse their newborn young 299 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:30,280 Speaker 2: during that first winter, and fat, again is the fuel 300 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:32,160 Speaker 2: that allows that to happen. And then when they come 301 00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 2: out of the den, some of them may have lost 302 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:36,320 Speaker 2: a third of their body weight or more, especially for 303 00:15:36,440 --> 00:15:39,080 Speaker 2: nursing moms, and then they have to start the process over. 304 00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:41,280 Speaker 2: They have to get fat in six months or less 305 00:15:41,280 --> 00:15:44,240 Speaker 2: to survive the next winter season, so they become essentially 306 00:15:44,240 --> 00:15:47,240 Speaker 2: what you could consider to be seasonally obese. And if 307 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 2: a person were put through this process, it would be 308 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:52,640 Speaker 2: very bad for us. Our bodies just aren't adapted to it. 309 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:56,320 Speaker 2: We develop complications of heart disease and diabetes. If we 310 00:15:56,320 --> 00:15:59,040 Speaker 2: were bedridden like bears are inside of a den. You know, 311 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:02,640 Speaker 2: our muscle mass would decline, our bone health would decline. 312 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:04,560 Speaker 2: But bears don't suffer from those things at all. They 313 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:08,400 Speaker 2: were very well adapted to handling these wild swings in 314 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:09,960 Speaker 2: nutrition and body size. 315 00:16:10,880 --> 00:16:14,360 Speaker 1: It's an amazing process. So in this process, as the 316 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:18,400 Speaker 1: bears balk up, we get to fat bear a week. 317 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:21,640 Speaker 1: How did this start? Now, Yeather, you're the father of 318 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:24,160 Speaker 1: fat bear week, right? 319 00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:28,239 Speaker 2: Yeah. At Brooks River, I always was trying to interpret 320 00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:30,720 Speaker 2: the lives of the bears much like what we are. 321 00:16:30,720 --> 00:16:33,360 Speaker 2: A conversation has been like so far, you know, bears 322 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:35,360 Speaker 2: need to get fat to survive, sort of like that's 323 00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:38,560 Speaker 2: one of the main messages. And in twenty fourteen, when 324 00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:40,840 Speaker 2: I was still a ranger at cat, I was browsing 325 00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:43,560 Speaker 2: some webcam comments on exploded Org where people were watching 326 00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 2: the bears. Somebody posted a photograph of the same bear 327 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:50,240 Speaker 2: from the webcam in early summer and then in late summer, 328 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:52,560 Speaker 2: and they were like, hey, look how fat this bear got. 329 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:54,480 Speaker 2: And that was a story that we always tried to 330 00:16:54,520 --> 00:16:57,120 Speaker 2: tell the audience to watch for look at their body 331 00:16:57,120 --> 00:17:00,480 Speaker 2: mass changes throughout the year. But something in my mind 332 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:02,520 Speaker 2: clicked at that time and I thought, hey, would'd be 333 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:05,359 Speaker 2: kind of fun if we decided to put on an 334 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:07,520 Speaker 2: event that allowed people to choose who they thought was 335 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 2: the fattest and most successful bear of the year. It's 336 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:12,679 Speaker 2: just not about body mass, but it's also considering the 337 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:14,840 Speaker 2: stories of those bears and the challenges that they go 338 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 2: through to get fat, because it is different for each bear. 339 00:17:17,840 --> 00:17:19,960 Speaker 2: We put together a one day event we called it 340 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:21,800 Speaker 2: fat Bear Tuesday. It was just on cat My National 341 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:24,480 Speaker 2: Park's Facebook page at the time, and people could vote 342 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:28,040 Speaker 2: with their likes or their reactions, and it was an 343 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:30,720 Speaker 2: experiment and kind of a goofy and silly thing, but 344 00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:34,560 Speaker 2: the engagement on it was extraordinarily high compared to anything 345 00:17:34,560 --> 00:17:36,920 Speaker 2: else we had done on social media at the time. 346 00:17:37,560 --> 00:17:40,359 Speaker 2: So that day I decided we have to expand it 347 00:17:40,359 --> 00:17:42,720 Speaker 2: into a whole week. We have to call it fat 348 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:45,080 Speaker 2: Bear Week. We're going to expand it so more people 349 00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:47,840 Speaker 2: have the opportunity to participate, and it's only grown in 350 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:50,520 Speaker 2: popularity since then. This year we had more than a 351 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:52,280 Speaker 2: million votes in fat beir Week. 352 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:56,840 Speaker 1: So over a million people came online. They just put 353 00:17:56,880 --> 00:17:59,199 Speaker 1: in fat Bear Week, will take them to it. 354 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:01,680 Speaker 2: You could go to fatber week dot org. The voting 355 00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:04,600 Speaker 2: is over this year but usually it happens in early 356 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:08,600 Speaker 2: October every year, and we have biographies of the bears 357 00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:10,439 Speaker 2: so people get to know the individual bears. You can 358 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:12,560 Speaker 2: go to the webcams and you can watch the bears 359 00:18:12,600 --> 00:18:15,560 Speaker 2: directly there if you want to. We get to know 360 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:17,760 Speaker 2: the bears as individuals at Brooks River and we get 361 00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:20,240 Speaker 2: to see them in early summer and in late summer, 362 00:18:20,359 --> 00:18:22,600 Speaker 2: so it's just not a picture of a fat bear, 363 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:25,679 Speaker 2: but it's also videos and footage of bears in early 364 00:18:25,680 --> 00:18:29,520 Speaker 2: summer too, along with their stories that help to inform 365 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:31,520 Speaker 2: your vote in a sense to think about who is 366 00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:33,200 Speaker 2: the fattest and most successful in the year. 367 00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:36,440 Speaker 1: Can people go and look at in the past. 368 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:38,919 Speaker 2: The past winners are linked there as well. We call 369 00:18:38,960 --> 00:18:40,399 Speaker 2: it the Haul of Champion, so if you wanted to 370 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:42,560 Speaker 2: see who won there in the past, you can. We 371 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:45,920 Speaker 2: have on explore dot org's YouTube channels, we have archives 372 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:49,400 Speaker 2: of our other live events associated with Fatbeer Week. So yeah, 373 00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:51,479 Speaker 2: it's all out there for people to enjoy if they 374 00:18:51,480 --> 00:18:53,960 Speaker 2: want to. And it's still bear watching season at Brooks River, 375 00:18:54,359 --> 00:18:56,600 Speaker 2: so we'll have bears fishing for salmon there through the 376 00:18:56,720 --> 00:18:59,159 Speaker 2: end of the month the same and migration period is 377 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:02,199 Speaker 2: over right now are focused on spawning, So instead of 378 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:04,080 Speaker 2: seeing a lot of bears sitting at the waterfall, you're 379 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:06,040 Speaker 2: seeing more bears looking through the river for things that 380 00:19:06,119 --> 00:19:09,200 Speaker 2: can't swim away. But it's still prime time for bear 381 00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:10,160 Speaker 2: watching at the river. 382 00:19:10,640 --> 00:19:13,639 Speaker 1: When they eventually go off to hibern eight, is the 383 00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:15,880 Speaker 1: site still up or does it go down for the winter. 384 00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:18,520 Speaker 1: Does your site hibernate with the bears. 385 00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:22,160 Speaker 2: The webcams of Brooks River usually we lose them sometime 386 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:25,320 Speaker 2: in November just because there's limited daylight to power the 387 00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:29,280 Speaker 2: solar panels. The solar arrays that are powering the cameras 388 00:19:29,320 --> 00:19:32,320 Speaker 2: right now are fairly small in extent. It's a national park. 389 00:19:32,359 --> 00:19:34,879 Speaker 2: You just can't put solar panels wherever you want to, 390 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:38,040 Speaker 2: of course, so we utilize existing infrastructure that's there, like 391 00:19:38,119 --> 00:19:42,040 Speaker 2: the wildlife viewing platforms. So with limited daylight, it gets 392 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:44,120 Speaker 2: harder and harder to power the cameras throughout the day. 393 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:47,520 Speaker 2: Then if snow falls and covers the solar panels, then 394 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:50,439 Speaker 2: we often end up losing the cameras, maybe sometime in 395 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:54,240 Speaker 2: November or so. They'll come back online in June, but 396 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:56,639 Speaker 2: also right around now, if you wanted to watch bears. 397 00:19:56,640 --> 00:19:58,919 Speaker 2: For instance, the polar bear cameras that we have with 398 00:19:58,960 --> 00:20:02,239 Speaker 2: polar Bears International when Churchill, Manitoba, it's just ramping up 399 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:05,280 Speaker 2: their season right now. We have a mobile tundra buggy 400 00:20:05,359 --> 00:20:08,720 Speaker 2: camera that goes out across the landscape and looks for 401 00:20:08,760 --> 00:20:10,760 Speaker 2: polar bears on the tundra. They're just waiting there for 402 00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:13,320 Speaker 2: the sea ice to return before they go back because 403 00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:15,280 Speaker 2: they're at their skinniest point of the year right now. 404 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:17,400 Speaker 2: So polar bears kind of have the opposite deal. They're 405 00:20:17,400 --> 00:20:20,280 Speaker 2: skinny in summer and fall, and they get really really 406 00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:21,400 Speaker 2: fat during the wintertime. 407 00:20:21,760 --> 00:20:24,400 Speaker 1: Do polar bears hibernate during the summer or do they 408 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:25,879 Speaker 1: not have the same pattern. 409 00:20:26,560 --> 00:20:30,240 Speaker 2: It's not quite the same pattern. They will regulate their 410 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:34,159 Speaker 2: activity because polar bears in the summer need the platform 411 00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:37,560 Speaker 2: of sea ice to hunt. When sea ice melts, they 412 00:20:37,560 --> 00:20:40,639 Speaker 2: don't have access to hunting seals, which are their preferred prey. 413 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:43,840 Speaker 2: So they're generally losing weight across the warmer months of 414 00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:46,560 Speaker 2: the year and they're gaining weight in the wintertime. Female 415 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:49,520 Speaker 2: polar bears still utilize dens, though they evolve from brown 416 00:20:49,560 --> 00:20:53,560 Speaker 2: bears at least genetically. The genetic evidence suggests that they 417 00:20:53,560 --> 00:20:58,159 Speaker 2: haven't decoupled that part of their evolutionary heritage, so they 418 00:20:58,160 --> 00:20:59,840 Speaker 2: still need to go into a den to give birth, 419 00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:02,399 Speaker 2: and some female polar bears may go eight months without 420 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:05,040 Speaker 2: eating because they need to give their cubs extra time 421 00:21:05,080 --> 00:21:07,400 Speaker 2: to grow before they venture out onto the sea ice. 422 00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:10,520 Speaker 1: The whole idea you go for eight months without eating 423 00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:11,560 Speaker 1: is kind of amazing. 424 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:14,840 Speaker 2: I can't fathom it and nursing cubs at the same time, 425 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:18,240 Speaker 2: But that underscores I think like the importance of having 426 00:21:18,520 --> 00:21:22,359 Speaker 2: sea ice for these animals. As our atmosphere continues to warm, 427 00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:24,919 Speaker 2: sea ice is declining, and that's making it harder for 428 00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:27,080 Speaker 2: many polar bear populations throughout the world. But we have 429 00:21:27,119 --> 00:21:29,600 Speaker 2: this opportunity, of course, to act and make sure that 430 00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:32,720 Speaker 2: they have that habitat that they need to survive the process. 431 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:36,640 Speaker 1: With polar bears, they're eating seals, which are even higher 432 00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:39,080 Speaker 1: energy content than salmon. 433 00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:43,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, seal is a lot of blubber, and polar bears too, 434 00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:48,280 Speaker 2: are primed to digest fat. They're the most carnivorous of 435 00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:52,360 Speaker 2: any bear species in the world, much more so than 436 00:21:52,359 --> 00:21:54,919 Speaker 2: brown bears. So when a polar bear catches a seal, 437 00:21:55,080 --> 00:21:57,760 Speaker 2: and a seal can weigh several hundred pounds. You know, 438 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:00,639 Speaker 2: a big, fatty seal is just a boon to a 439 00:22:00,680 --> 00:22:05,479 Speaker 2: polar bear. Their digestivessistants are primed to process fat and 440 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:08,720 Speaker 2: turn that into again body fat that they need during 441 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:09,800 Speaker 2: the lean times of the year. 442 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:28,320 Speaker 1: Going back for a second, too, Fat Beer Week, as 443 00:22:28,359 --> 00:22:31,040 Speaker 1: I understand it, you had to delay the competition this 444 00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:34,800 Speaker 1: year because a male bear attacked and killed a female bear. 445 00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:39,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, we were set to announce the bracket for Fat 446 00:22:39,359 --> 00:22:41,600 Speaker 2: Beer Week, so we put twelve bears in the bracket. 447 00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:44,400 Speaker 2: We announced that in a special event that we do 448 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:46,640 Speaker 2: on Explore at Oregon. The replay of that is still 449 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:49,560 Speaker 2: available online as well. We were going to do it 450 00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:53,400 Speaker 2: on Monday, September thirtieth this year, but that morning we 451 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:55,840 Speaker 2: were reminded again of the really harsh realities of the 452 00:22:55,840 --> 00:22:58,480 Speaker 2: bear world. We love to celebrate the success of the bears. 453 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:00,960 Speaker 2: We love to see mother bears again and raising their cubs, 454 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:03,280 Speaker 2: weaning their cubs. We'd love to see bears getting fat 455 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:05,679 Speaker 2: and surviving. But it's not a game for the bears. 456 00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:08,120 Speaker 2: And I'm always trying to remind myself and our audiences 457 00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:11,960 Speaker 2: of that they're facing real challenges and real risks in 458 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:16,160 Speaker 2: their life, and sometimes their deaths can be sudden and painful. 459 00:23:16,240 --> 00:23:19,600 Speaker 2: We saw a male bear attack a full grown female 460 00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:21,919 Speaker 2: bear out in the mouth of Brooks River. It was 461 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:24,920 Speaker 2: captured live on the webcams on September thirtieth, and he 462 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:27,200 Speaker 2: killed her. It seemed to be a clear cut example 463 00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:30,800 Speaker 2: of a predatory attack. It's not something that you expect 464 00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:33,840 Speaker 2: to see with even adult bears, but it happens in 465 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:36,560 Speaker 2: the bear world. It's part of that spectrum of behavior 466 00:23:37,119 --> 00:23:39,920 Speaker 2: that has been documented for them. He drug her out 467 00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:42,359 Speaker 2: of the river, cashed her body on the river bank, 468 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:45,040 Speaker 2: and began to feed on her. He was displaced by 469 00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:47,359 Speaker 2: a bigger bear who I think, as far as I know, 470 00:23:47,359 --> 00:23:49,200 Speaker 2: the last update I got from the rangers there was 471 00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:51,959 Speaker 2: that that other big bear was still stating on that 472 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:54,400 Speaker 2: food cash. So given that event, we thought we had 473 00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:58,359 Speaker 2: to talk everybody through that situation. Because the bear that 474 00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:00,720 Speaker 2: got killed was a beloved brown bear. I had known 475 00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:02,800 Speaker 2: her since two thousand and seven. She was first identified 476 00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:04,760 Speaker 2: at Brooks River in two thousand and one. She had 477 00:24:04,800 --> 00:24:07,600 Speaker 2: eight litters total. She was in her late twenties and 478 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:09,199 Speaker 2: we were wondering whether she would come back with a 479 00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:12,600 Speaker 2: ninth litter next year. So certainly it's a real part 480 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:15,320 Speaker 2: of the bare world, and we were helping the audience 481 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:18,200 Speaker 2: to find empathy for the bear who experienced a really 482 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:20,800 Speaker 2: painful death, but also at the same time acknowledge and 483 00:24:20,800 --> 00:24:23,840 Speaker 2: help teach the audience about the realities of the bear world. 484 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:28,080 Speaker 1: So you think the male saw her as. 485 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:32,040 Speaker 2: Food, right, Yeah, it's a little bit of a mystery 486 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:35,520 Speaker 2: on why he would target her or whether that was 487 00:24:35,560 --> 00:24:40,439 Speaker 2: his initial motivation. Sometimes I wonder if something gets triggered 488 00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:42,080 Speaker 2: in their mind when they're in a fight or something 489 00:24:42,119 --> 00:24:44,520 Speaker 2: like that, and they feel like, hey, maybe I could 490 00:24:44,520 --> 00:24:46,600 Speaker 2: turn this into a food opportunity. I don't know if 491 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:49,240 Speaker 2: that's what happened with the adult male. Again, we'd have 492 00:24:49,320 --> 00:24:52,480 Speaker 2: to ask him, and we don't have that ability currently 493 00:24:52,560 --> 00:24:54,800 Speaker 2: to speak with wild animals on that level. But we 494 00:24:54,840 --> 00:24:58,320 Speaker 2: can get back to their basic motivations, you know, getting 495 00:24:58,359 --> 00:25:01,679 Speaker 2: fat for winner, satisfied their hunger. At this time of 496 00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:06,560 Speaker 2: the year too, they're experiencing a physiological phenomenon called hyperphasia, 497 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:09,960 Speaker 2: which translates to excessive eating literally, but for a bear, 498 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:13,920 Speaker 2: it's adaptive. It's the normal mechanisms that tell their bodies 499 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:16,600 Speaker 2: that they're full, Like their stomach is full. We feel 500 00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:18,720 Speaker 2: that as well, after like a big meal, we're like, Okay, 501 00:25:18,760 --> 00:25:21,280 Speaker 2: that's enough food. The bears don't feel that right now, 502 00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:23,840 Speaker 2: based on what we can tell on their hormonal changes 503 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:26,000 Speaker 2: in their brain's ability to sort of resist some of 504 00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:29,480 Speaker 2: those hormones that are produced by their stomach at this 505 00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:31,800 Speaker 2: time of the year, So that might have had something 506 00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:34,720 Speaker 2: to do with it that excessive hunger. But yeah, it 507 00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:36,760 Speaker 2: was again a situation that just reminded us of the 508 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:38,960 Speaker 2: real harsh realities of the bear world. 509 00:25:40,160 --> 00:25:43,560 Speaker 1: Now, in addition to Fat Bear Week and all the 510 00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:48,119 Speaker 1: things you do with online capability, you wrote The Bears 511 00:25:48,119 --> 00:25:50,679 Speaker 1: of Brooks Swals talk a little bit about why you 512 00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:52,840 Speaker 1: wrote the book and what you hope people will get 513 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:53,280 Speaker 1: out of it. 514 00:25:54,800 --> 00:25:57,119 Speaker 2: That was a book that is a long time coming 515 00:25:57,160 --> 00:25:58,880 Speaker 2: for me. I think it was maybe a ten year 516 00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:02,240 Speaker 2: process between the time my first thought of the idea 517 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:07,160 Speaker 2: and when I was able to actually finish the manuscript 518 00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:10,919 Speaker 2: for a publisher. I thought there was a unique ecological 519 00:26:11,119 --> 00:26:14,880 Speaker 2: and historical story to tell about Brooks River, and there 520 00:26:14,880 --> 00:26:18,080 Speaker 2: had been a lot of information scattered around in different 521 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:22,879 Speaker 2: you know, maybe government publications or general histories of like 522 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:25,280 Speaker 2: brown bears here and there, but nothing that really focused 523 00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:28,440 Speaker 2: specifically on Brooks River, because Brooks River in itself is 524 00:26:28,560 --> 00:26:31,760 Speaker 2: unique not just for its brown bears, but for the 525 00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:37,359 Speaker 2: combination of characteristics that you can find there. Not only 526 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:39,240 Speaker 2: is it a place for brown bears together, not only 527 00:26:39,359 --> 00:26:41,720 Speaker 2: is it a place that hosts rich salmon runs, but 528 00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:44,359 Speaker 2: it's also been home to people for more than five 529 00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:46,800 Speaker 2: thousand years or so. So as soon as basically the 530 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:50,000 Speaker 2: glaciers left that area, people moved into that spot. The 531 00:26:50,040 --> 00:26:54,119 Speaker 2: whole river corridor is a gigantic archaeological site, theolutic and 532 00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:56,199 Speaker 2: you pick people still have very close ties to the 533 00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:59,200 Speaker 2: Brooks River area. And then you have the layer of 534 00:26:59,560 --> 00:27:03,920 Speaker 2: the model National park culture put on top of that 535 00:27:04,080 --> 00:27:07,760 Speaker 2: as well, and how we experience Brooks River, the establishment 536 00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:10,400 Speaker 2: of cap my National Monument in nineteen eighteen and then 537 00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:13,639 Speaker 2: its eventual transformation into My National Park in nineteen eighty, 538 00:27:14,160 --> 00:27:17,080 Speaker 2: and how we experience Brooks River today. So I thought 539 00:27:17,119 --> 00:27:19,680 Speaker 2: that was a story that was worth telling, as well 540 00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:22,439 Speaker 2: as through the lens of many of the individual bears 541 00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:23,800 Speaker 2: that we see at Brooks River. 542 00:27:24,400 --> 00:27:29,440 Speaker 1: Now you have moved from the Park Service to explore 543 00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:31,240 Speaker 1: dot Org what is explore dot org. 544 00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:36,640 Speaker 2: Exploded Org is a philanthropic organization that specializes in live 545 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:40,080 Speaker 2: nature cams around the world. So it's free to watch. 546 00:27:40,119 --> 00:27:42,240 Speaker 2: There's no advertisements on it. You don't need to sign 547 00:27:42,280 --> 00:27:44,800 Speaker 2: up to watch the cameras, so you can go there 548 00:27:44,840 --> 00:27:47,320 Speaker 2: twenty four to seven and always find something to watch. 549 00:27:47,720 --> 00:27:49,680 Speaker 2: And I feel very fortunate to be able to have 550 00:27:49,720 --> 00:27:53,080 Speaker 2: this experience with exploded Org to share brown bears and 551 00:27:53,119 --> 00:27:56,119 Speaker 2: other species with people around the world. So it's an 552 00:27:56,160 --> 00:27:58,639 Speaker 2: amazing organization. A pretty small team there's maybe only like 553 00:27:58,680 --> 00:28:01,119 Speaker 2: ten of us or something like that that runs the 554 00:28:01,119 --> 00:28:04,360 Speaker 2: website itself, but a very dedicated team looking to provide 555 00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:06,520 Speaker 2: people with meaningful wilife watching experiences. 556 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:09,600 Speaker 1: And you moved from Alaska to Maine, which I think 557 00:28:09,640 --> 00:28:12,440 Speaker 1: it's interesting to be on both sides of the country. 558 00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:17,480 Speaker 1: But sticking with winter, yes, it didn't come south very far. 559 00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:19,200 Speaker 1: What do you see as a difference. 560 00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:22,080 Speaker 2: When I was living in Alaska, it was certainly more 561 00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:24,600 Speaker 2: rural than where I was now. It wasn't on the 562 00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:27,440 Speaker 2: road system, so if I needed to get like major supplies, 563 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:29,840 Speaker 2: I either had the mail order them or I would 564 00:28:29,840 --> 00:28:32,240 Speaker 2: fly to Anchorage and then I would ship that stuff back. 565 00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:35,960 Speaker 2: So the park headquarters for Counta National Park is located 566 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:38,080 Speaker 2: in King Salmon on the Alaska peninsul It's about three 567 00:28:38,120 --> 00:28:42,160 Speaker 2: hundred miles southwest of Anchorage, very wild landscape. There's a 568 00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:45,000 Speaker 2: small sort of road system in that area that connects 569 00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:49,200 Speaker 2: King Salmon and the airport with another village on Bristol Bay, 570 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:52,920 Speaker 2: a commercial fishing village called Nakneck. But you're pretty isolated there. 571 00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:55,360 Speaker 2: You can't get out unless you have a plane or 572 00:28:55,600 --> 00:28:57,600 Speaker 2: a snowmobile or something like that to get you. 573 00:28:57,600 --> 00:28:58,320 Speaker 1: Far far away. 574 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:03,360 Speaker 2: So that that's one major difference. But here in northern Maine, 575 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:06,560 Speaker 2: I really enjoy having access again to wild lands. It's 576 00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:10,680 Speaker 2: a different set of wild lands the forestry here. It's 577 00:29:10,800 --> 00:29:14,160 Speaker 2: really a working forest that I'm surrounded by, but still 578 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:18,080 Speaker 2: thick snow, lots of recreational opportunities I can get out there. 579 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:21,640 Speaker 2: I also enjoy sort of the tradition of people having 580 00:29:21,680 --> 00:29:25,240 Speaker 2: access to private lands in Maine. Most of Maine is 581 00:29:25,320 --> 00:29:29,200 Speaker 2: private property, but there's a tradition of letting people cross 582 00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:31,840 Speaker 2: lands and utilized lands for recreational opportunities. 583 00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:32,320 Speaker 1: In Maine. 584 00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:34,240 Speaker 2: That's a really special thing about the state that you 585 00:29:34,280 --> 00:29:35,560 Speaker 2: don't find in other places. 586 00:29:35,920 --> 00:29:37,480 Speaker 1: I have to say, while we're chatting and I pulled 587 00:29:37,560 --> 00:29:41,040 Speaker 1: up explore dot org and you have an amazing number 588 00:29:41,040 --> 00:29:41,680 Speaker 1: of cameras. 589 00:29:42,760 --> 00:29:45,239 Speaker 2: It's about one hundred and eighty around the world. Some 590 00:29:45,320 --> 00:29:47,920 Speaker 2: of them are seasonal, some of them are year round. 591 00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:50,720 Speaker 2: But yeah, there's always something to watch. My favorites at 592 00:29:50,720 --> 00:29:52,480 Speaker 2: this time of the year. Besides the brown bears would 593 00:29:52,480 --> 00:29:55,160 Speaker 2: be polar bears. The underwater cameras I love to go to, 594 00:29:55,320 --> 00:29:57,080 Speaker 2: Like we have one off the coast of Honduras that 595 00:29:57,080 --> 00:30:00,120 Speaker 2: shows a coral reef that's just amazing. At night you 596 00:30:00,120 --> 00:30:02,560 Speaker 2: can see like sharks and other fish swimming by. In 597 00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:05,880 Speaker 2: the daytime, it's just amazing coral wintertime coming up. We 598 00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:08,520 Speaker 2: have cameras at warm springs where you can see manatees, 599 00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:11,560 Speaker 2: for instance. Cameras in Africa yr rounds. If you wanted 600 00:30:11,560 --> 00:30:13,280 Speaker 2: to go in a virtual Africa so far, you could 601 00:30:13,320 --> 00:30:14,400 Speaker 2: do that any day. 602 00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:17,920 Speaker 1: It's remarkable. I mean, you have carved out for yourself 603 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:19,920 Speaker 1: kind of an amazing life. 604 00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:22,480 Speaker 2: I feel very fortunate to be able to share, yeah, 605 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:25,800 Speaker 2: this experience with everybody. Again, I would not have envisioned 606 00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:28,800 Speaker 2: having this opportunity when I was just stepping out of 607 00:30:28,840 --> 00:30:32,120 Speaker 2: college and trying to get jobs in national parks around 608 00:30:32,200 --> 00:30:34,920 Speaker 2: the country. But webcams really are I think a game 609 00:30:35,040 --> 00:30:38,560 Speaker 2: changer for us to allow people greater access to nature 610 00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:41,640 Speaker 2: and wild spaces, and that matters to everybody. You know, 611 00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:43,800 Speaker 2: nature can be difficult for people to access for a 612 00:30:43,840 --> 00:30:46,600 Speaker 2: variety of different reasons. But you know, webcams again don't 613 00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:49,240 Speaker 2: substitute a walk in the woods, but they're a different 614 00:30:49,280 --> 00:30:51,400 Speaker 2: type of experience and it's a wonderful one to have. 615 00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:56,320 Speaker 1: We can reassure our listeners that fat Bear Week will 616 00:30:56,360 --> 00:30:57,640 Speaker 1: come back next October. 617 00:30:58,440 --> 00:31:02,720 Speaker 2: Absolutely, yeah, early October. Every year, we exploded Org and 618 00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:06,480 Speaker 2: the cat My Conservancy and the National Park Service work 619 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:09,600 Speaker 2: in tandem to produce fat Bear Week. So you have 620 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:13,360 Speaker 2: park rangers joining myself and maybe a representative of the 621 00:31:13,360 --> 00:31:15,640 Speaker 2: cat My Conservancy, which is one of the nonprofit partners 622 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:18,240 Speaker 2: that supports the National Park in Catmi, that we put 623 00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:21,320 Speaker 2: on Fafer Week. You can vote fatberwek dot org and 624 00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:23,280 Speaker 2: if you missed it this year, again, yeah, rest assured 625 00:31:23,280 --> 00:31:25,360 Speaker 2: there will be one next year. You can maybe start 626 00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:28,160 Speaker 2: your fabruir Week and paigning early in July next year 627 00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:30,320 Speaker 2: and think, I think this bear is going to get 628 00:31:30,320 --> 00:31:32,240 Speaker 2: really fat and it should be a fatber Week candidate. 629 00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:35,920 Speaker 1: People can go to explore dot org slash bears and 630 00:31:36,080 --> 00:31:37,000 Speaker 1: keep up with all of this. 631 00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:40,000 Speaker 2: Yes, exploded org slash bears is where you can find 632 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:41,520 Speaker 2: the live webpms at Brooks River. 633 00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:42,960 Speaker 1: Well, I want to thank you for joining me. I 634 00:31:43,040 --> 00:31:46,120 Speaker 1: must confess I had kind of a blank look about 635 00:31:46,160 --> 00:31:48,640 Speaker 1: the idea of fat Bear Week, but you have made 636 00:31:48,680 --> 00:31:52,320 Speaker 1: it a truly fun conversation and I hope people will 637 00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:55,680 Speaker 1: take the opportunity both to go to explore dot org 638 00:31:56,080 --> 00:31:59,360 Speaker 1: and maybe next October to get involved with fat Bear Week. 639 00:31:59,840 --> 00:32:01,479 Speaker 2: I hope so too. Yeah, it's a great vote. It's 640 00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:03,880 Speaker 2: a fun competition, and we encourage people to campaign for 641 00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:06,120 Speaker 2: the bear they think is most deserving of the vote, 642 00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:07,240 Speaker 2: and I think a lot of people are in the 643 00:32:07,240 --> 00:32:08,520 Speaker 2: spirit of that season right now. 644 00:32:08,880 --> 00:32:10,040 Speaker 1: Thank you very very much. 645 00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:11,280 Speaker 2: You welcome. Have great day. 646 00:32:15,280 --> 00:32:17,920 Speaker 1: Thank you to my guest Mike Fitz. You can learn 647 00:32:17,960 --> 00:32:21,280 Speaker 1: more about Fatbear Week on our show page at newtsworld 648 00:32:21,280 --> 00:32:25,400 Speaker 1: dot com. Newsworld is produced by Gingers three sixty and iHeartMedia. 649 00:32:25,760 --> 00:32:30,200 Speaker 1: Our executive producer is Guarnsey Sloan. Our researcher is Rachel Peterson. 650 00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:33,400 Speaker 1: The artwork for the show was created by Steve Penlin. 651 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:37,000 Speaker 1: Special thanks to the team at Gingwish three sixty. If 652 00:32:37,040 --> 00:32:39,600 Speaker 1: you've been enjoying Newtsworld, I hope you'll go to Apple 653 00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:42,920 Speaker 1: Podcast and both rate us with five stars and give 654 00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:45,680 Speaker 1: us a review so others can learn what it's all about. 655 00:32:46,480 --> 00:32:49,200 Speaker 1: Right now, listeners of news World can sign up for 656 00:32:49,320 --> 00:32:54,160 Speaker 1: my three free weekly columns at gingwishtree sixty dot com 657 00:32:54,160 --> 00:33:01,680 Speaker 1: slash newsletter. I'm Newt Gingrich. This is Newtsworld.