Beadnose With 'Radiant Rolls' Is Alaska Park's Fattest Bear

409 Beadnose, an Alaskan brown bear, was named the "Fattest Bear" in a competition held by Katmai National Park and Preserve. The announcement of the winner marks the end of Fat Bear Week (Oct.3-9), an annual March-Madness style event held by the park where fans vote online to bestow the title on a bear.

"Her radiant rolls were deemed by the voting public to be this year's most fabulous flab," the park wrote in a Facebook post announcing the winner. "Our chubby champ has a few more weeks to chow down on lingering salmon carcasses before she heads up the mountains to dig herself a den and savor her victory."

Beadnose has been awarded the title twice in the competition's five-year history.

The park explains that the weight put on by the bears ahead of the winter is a necessity because it helps them to survive hibernation. When the park announced the start of the week, it stressed that there was no fat shaming going on and large amounts of body fat in brown bears are indicative of good health and strong chances of survival.

"Over the course of winter hibernation, a bear could lose up to one third of its body mass. In a few short months, they will have to gain it all back," the park said in a news release.

In preparation of hibernation, bears enter a stage called hyperphagia where they eat nearly non-stop.

The park matched up bears seen often on bear cams with a before and after photo showing the weight gain.

For each round, the bear whose photo received the most likes on Facebook moved on to the next round.

In the final round, Beadnose was paired with 747, a "blimpy board whose belly barely has clearance with the ground." Beadnose has raised four litters of cubs and emancipated two cubs earlier this year, the park said.

Photo via National Park Service