It's that magical time of year when the Alaska Peninsula brown bears (Ursus arctos gyas) at Brooks River in Katmai National Park and Preserve are so very round that the park holds a contest (Oct 4-10) where you can vote on who's the heftiest.
Beginning in June, the bears gorge on calorie-rich salmon, gaining up to four pounds per day. And the rangers track how big the bears are (by volume) BY PINGING THEM WITH LASERS
