# @nationalparkservice on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DPBt-mdjpxn
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/34986717-nationalparkservice-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/353d3b31f6.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-09-25T13:26:37.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** National Park Service (@nationalparkservice) — https://gondola.cc/nationalparkservice

## Caption

Bear-y hungry…

Ever wonder how much sockeye salmon a bear can eat a day?  No, yes, maybe? Well, you’re in for a sockeye smorgasbord of a treat. Did you know some bears can eat more than 40 salmon a day? Hungry eyes! But what about all the calories? One salmon is anywhere between 2,500 and 6,000 calories, so a hefty diet of salmon could provide around 100,000 calories a day.  Bear 480 (Otis) is the record holder for the most salmon consumed in one sitting, once observed eating 42 salmon in 5 ½ hours (or approximately 240,000 calories) during an All-You-Can-Eat Salmon Apocalypse, also known as a random Tuesday at the falls.

How about a side salad? A what? The bears mostly feast on salmon but supplement their diet with vegetation such as grasses and berries. Can you add a bit of salmon on top? Oh my, I couldn’t eat another bite. Yes, I can. Thanks to hyperphagia, a bear’s late summer, early fall metabolism basically says, “Full? Never heard of it.” The hormone Leptin’s out there whispering, “You’re done,” but the bears are too busy fishing or napping to care. It’s just eat, sleep, repeat…living the dream, 40 salmon at a time.

Once again, we’d like to take a moment for the salmon. Without the salmon, the bears would struggle to meet their caloric needs, leading to weaker individuals and potentially declining populations. Protecting salmon runs is thus vital for maintaining Alaska’s bear population and the broader ecosystem.

#FatBearWeek

Image 1: Bear 480 (Otis) with salmon Katmai National Park & Preserve. Photo/L.Law
Image 2: A bear nibbles on a caught salmon at Katmai National Park & Preserve. Photo/D. Kopshever
Image 3: A bear with salmon being pulled out of water. 
Image 4: Bear with salmon tail hanging out of mouth 
Image 5: Bear resting on back with legs in air.

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 61,107
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- **Comments:** 177

## Credits

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| National Park Service | @nationalparkservice | https://gondola.cc/nationalparkservice | Government Organization |

## Tags

fatbearweek

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