Every fall, people from around the world turn their attention to Katmai National Park and Preserve in southern Alaska for Fat Bear Week.
The annual online tournament is a celebration of the park’s bear population, culminating in a bracket-style championship to crown the fattest bear, who spend the summer and fall gaining weight to survive their winter hibernation.
This year, Fat Bear Week doesn’t take place until the week of October 2, but fans are already flocking to the park’s bear livestream to check out the competition.
Those who decided to partake early were rewarded with the appearance of a rare silver bear cub.
The cub is estimated to be about 6 months old and was caught on camera sitting in the grass and giving a small yawn. Explore.org, the website that hosts the bear cam, said it was one of the most “unique-looking cubs” ever witnessed on the live feed.
Immediately, viewers began to wonder if it was a pizzly bear: A grizzly and polar bear mix. But experts doubt it’s anything more than a rare genetic feature.
“We have seen silver-looking bear cubs in the past, and we attribute this to the bear’s genetics. The bears in Katmai have many different fur colors, and the park does have a large population of blonde bears,” Katmai park ranger Sarah Bruce told Popular Science.
“There have been some questions surrounding whether this is a ‘pizzly’ bear, but Katmai National Park is too far south for polar bears to roam, and we have no evidence to suggest that Katmai bears travel that far north.”
Still, the cub’s appearance is garnering some positive attention ahead of the big competition in October.
The unique fur color does not signal any danger or concern, as bears do not use their fur to camouflage, and all signs point to the cub being healthy.
Since its initial on-camera appearance, the cub — the offspring of bear 677 — has continued to surprise viewers with adorable milestones.
One clip showed the bear hugging a tree stump, perhaps attempting to climb.
“677's cub is adorable,” Explore.org posted on social media. “Any nicknames come to mind? Casper, Ghost?”
Another still features 677 attempting to help her cub down from a tree, and more footage depicts mom and child traversing through the water, with the cub staying close behind so as not to get spooked by the salmon.
But the bear cam is not only reserved for adorable moments.
In late July, one mother bear was caught on camera killing and eating an unrelated cub. While heartbreaking for viewers, Katmai Conservancy, the park’s nonprofit partner, acknowledged that it is sadly a part of the natural world.
While infanticide by female adult bears does occur, rangers say this is likely the first documented case occuring at Brooks River. And it serves as a reminder to viewers that these bears are indeed wild animals with their own unpredictable instincts and behaviors.
“The bears of Katmai live without human intervention, and the bear cams provide an unfiltered look at their lives, including the difficult moments alongside the joyful ones,” the organization shared in a statement.
Naturalists spoke on the incident in a live chat and thanked viewers for their concern and connection to the park’s bears.
“Thank you for continuing to care so deeply about Katmai’s bears,” the conservancy concluded in its statement.
To keep up with the silver cub — and all the other Katmai bears — check out the livestream view all season long.
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Featured Images: @exploreorg/Instagram
