Bringing us back to Fat Bear Week, just how much are those fat bears eating? A lot, it turns out. Black bears heading for hibernation can eat 20,000 calories per day, an amount that the Colorado Parks and Wildlife agency visualized by laying out a pepperoni pizza, a dozen donuts, a bucket of KFC, and assorted other fast food, hashtagged #cheatmeal.
But that’s nothing compared to our furry buddies at Katmai, who are larger and who chow down on salmon. Early in the season they eat the fish whole, up to 40 of them per day. Later, they eat the fattiest parts, including skin and eggs, and leave the rest for wolves and other animals. A full day of eating for one of these bears can weigh in at a hefty 100,000 calories per day.
