Ahead of Fat Bear Week, avid fans are glued to the spectacle of brown bears devouring salmon at Brooks Falls in Alaska<\/p>\n
One of this summer\u2019s biggest onscreen hits has had big beasts, great escapes and choppy waters, but it\u2019s not Christopher Nolan\u2019s The Odyssey \u2013 it\u2019s a livestream of Alaskan brown bears catching salmon.<\/p>\n
The Brooks Falls bearcam at Katmai national park in the US was watched 7.3m times between 22 June and 4 August \u2013 up 70% from the same period last year and more than double the views it attracted in 2024.<\/p>\n
The cameras, run by the wildlife network Explore.org, show brown bears gathering at Brooks Falls waterfall to catch sockeye salmon as they make their way upstream. More than a dozen bears at a time can be spotted prowling around the rocky waters and chomping on the fish.<\/p>\n
Candice Rusch, Explore.org\u2019s director of new media, said the surge in viewers appeared to be driven by the bears returning to the falls in large numbers after a less concentrated season last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast year was a really high salmon run, which meant there was salmon all over the river and the bears didn\u2019t need to congregate at the falls the way they\u2019re doing right now,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year we\u2019ve just had very good views of large congregations of bears.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like the whole world discovered they could put bearcam on their TV at the same time,\u201d she said. \u201cMaybe people just have it on while they\u2019re cooking dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n
The cameras were first installed in 2012 as part of an effort to bring remote wildlife into people\u2019s homes. Rusch said the idea was that people were more likely to protect animals and landscapes they had come to know and care about.<\/p>\n
Dr Jeffrey Skibins, an associate professor at East Carolina University, said: \u201cRecent studies have shown that nature-based webcams are beneficial to both wildlife and people. They benefit wildlife by improving conservation attitudes, behaviours and awareness.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not to suggest they are replacements for getting out in nature, but rather serve as viable additions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The stream has developed a dedicated fanbase. Viewers can identify individual bears from features such as their ears, noses and body shape, and some keep detailed records of their feeding habits.<\/p>\n
One dedicated fan reported watching a bear called Otis eat 42 salmon over several hours, which Rusch said could equate to more than 100,000 calories.<\/p>\n
The bears\u2019 gorging will take on added significance next month, when Katmai\u2019s annual Fat Bear Week begins in the autumn. The public votes in a knockout-style competition to crown the park\u2019s fattest bear, as the animals pile on winter weight in preparation for hibernation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe bears are great,\u201d Rusch said. \u201cThis is an amazing place and it deserves all the love it\u2019s getting.\u201d<\/p>\n