Fat Bear Week delayed after a ‘beloved bear’ dies on camera

In a shocking live broadcast, one of Katmai National Park’s celebrity bears killed another — just before the start of Fat Bear Week. Viewers from all over the world watched via the live nature cam network explore.org.

The attack took place at the mouth of the Brooks River at roughly 9:30 a.m. Monday. Video footage shows bear number 469 attacking bear number 402 and apparently drowning her after a struggle. He then dragged her body to shore, presumably to eat.

Mike Fitz, a naturalist with explore.org, moderated a livestreamed discussion after the attack.

“402 was a beloved bear by each and every one of us,” he said during the discussion. “Honestly, I think we are all at a little bit of a loss of words.”

Fitz doesn’t know why bear 469 attacked, expending valuable energy. But he said it appeared to be a predatory act.

“I don’t think his behavior is abnormal. It’s well within the spectrum of what we can expect bears to do to one another,” Fitz said. “But how common is this sort of thing? It’s not something that we expect to see.”

The discussion attracted nearly 26,000 viewers. They flooded the comments section with messages like “hugs to all with broken hearts” and “so grateful for the time 402 spent with us.”

Bear 402 was the mother of eight litters and a favorite of bear cam fans going into Fat Bear Week. The annual competition celebrates the bears’ success in fattening up for hibernation. Fans vote for the bear that’s put on the most weight over the summer.

402’s death delayed the release of the Fat Bear Week bracket, which would have come out Monday. The release was rescheduled for 11 p.m. Tuesday.