# @nationalparkservice on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DbwxiRhzHIG
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/68987419-nationalparkservice-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/efcdbc458d.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-08-08T02:21:28.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** National Park Service (@nationalparkservice) — https://gondola.cc/nationalparkservice

## Caption

Good day. I’ll have the salmon, please. With a side of salmon. Then, for dessert, perhaps the salmon. Actually, forget the dessert. More salmon. And a small grass salad and a water, because even a bear has to make healthy choices.

In late summer and fall, Alaska’s coastal brown bears enter a state called hyperphagia, which is a scientific way of saying, “I must now eat everything I can find before winter arrives and turns the world into a giant freezer.” During this all-you-can-eat season, a large male bear can consume 80 to 90 pounds of food a day.

To handle all this eating, bears take midday naps to process their meals. A relatable strategy: eat an unreasonable amount, then lie down and think about your choices. At the peak of the salmon run, a dominant bear can eat more than 30 salmon in a single day.

So, is salmon always on a bear’s mind? Yes. Probably. The bear has priorities. The salad is mostly there to make the meal feel responsible. Much like the water. It’s a nice idea, but everyone knows the bear came for the salmon.

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 151,398
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 436

## Credits

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

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