08/23/2026
Meet Otis: The Legendary Bear With an Appetite Almost Too Big to Believe 🐻🐟
At Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve, brown bears gather around the rivers each year to feast on salmon and build the enormous fat reserves they need for winter.
But few bears have become as beloved as Otis—Bear 480.
Otis became famous at Brooks River not because he was the fastest or most aggressive fisherman, but because of his remarkably patient hunting strategy. He often waited calmly in his preferred fishing spot while other bears competed around him, conserving energy until salmon came within reach.
That strategy turned him into an incredibly successful fisherman.
During one particularly remarkable period, Otis was reported to have consumed 42 salmon in a single sitting or extended feeding session. Considering that a salmon can contain thousands of calories, that's an astonishing amount of food. 😳🐟
But for bears preparing for hibernation, eating isn't simply about satisfying hunger.
During hyperphagia, bears can spend much of their day eating as they rapidly accumulate body fat needed to survive months with little or no food.
Otis became an international celebrity through Fat Bear Week, Katmai's annual competition celebrating the bears' remarkable transformation before winter.
And Otis didn't just participate.
He won four times—2014, 2016, 2017 and 2021. 🏆🐻
His advancing age, distinctive appearance and calm fishing technique made him one of the most recognizable bears ever watched at Brooks Falls.
With Fat Bear Week 2026 approaching, Otis remains part of the event's extraordinary history.
Because eating 42 salmon isn't really dinner…
At that point, you're personally challenging the entire river. 😂🐻🐟
