Park rangers saw something unprecedented in this year's fat bears

We were surprised by the fat bears.

The brown bears are mostly solitary. The mothers andcubs live as independent families. This tradition was broken by the year 2022. It was like a large family.

Mike Fitz, a former park ranger and resident naturalist for the wilderness livestreamers at explore.org, said that this was fascinating to watch. Mother andcubs tend to stay to themselves. I have never seen families associate with each other this way.

Two bears are the offspring of a legendary bear named 409, who competed in Fat Bear Week. The young bear is wrapping up its second fish-eating season because it is fattened up. They are cousins and aunts.

The images above and below show that this atypical family group was seen in various parts of theBrooks River area, which is a popular fishing spot for the bears. There is a waterfall at the halfway point of the river that acts like a barricade for salmon. The fish attempt to jump over the obstruction as the bears feast on them.

The four-member family were often seen by bear watchers. There are threats from other bears. A feat that yearling bears rarely accomplish is the fact that 909'scub still snatched a few jumping fish from atop the falls.

The families were mingling at other places. They began to travel together.

They were hanging out. Together, relaxed. They played with each other. Naomi Boak was the media ranger at the park.

It was the story of the year. She's cohosting the Otis Fund on October 15 to raise money for the park's supporters.

The four-member family group bedded down in the grass in Katmai National Park and Preserve. Credit: Courtesy of Michelle Pepper

The family group on a stroll beside the Brooks River. Credit: Courtesy of Ronnie Rossetti

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The bears are laying down in the grass. The fishing spot is close to the river. The bears are able to rest in a lot of safe places, but they choose each other.

Fitz thinks that they are friends with one another. When the circumstances are right, bears can be quite social.

We don't know why this family union happened. That's bear knowledge. We know that the sisters were familiar with each other and were willing to play with one another. In a harsh bear world, the families felt safer with fewer people.

The winter is going to be big for these animals. They need to eat the last of the fish in order to survive the long winter. They need to look for our respective dens. The two families haven't left each other yet.

Fitz said that they're still hanging out.