Fans of the Exlore.org Bear Cams that feature brown bears feeding in Alaska’s Brooks River are celebrating the return of Bear 164, aka Bucky Dent or Shower Bear.
The accompanying footage shows the adult male bear’s distinctive fishing method, which involves standing under the lip of Brooks Falls with his head submerged and watching for migrating salmon falling backward after failing to leap over the lip.
“Bear 164 – Shower Bear also known as Bucky Dent has returned to Brooks!” Explore.org. announced Thursday via social media.
Bear 164 – Shower Bear also known as Bucky Dent has returned to Brooks! pic.twitter.com/IyIb1TPIZr
— explore.org (@exploreorg) August 17, 2023
Brooks River, in Katmai National Park, is home to the stars of Fat Bear Week, a fan-driven competition conducted each fall to celebrate the bears’ success in fattening up in advance of the winter hibernation season.
Bear 164 is nicknamed Bucky Dent – after the former Major League Baseball star – because of the dark, vertical indentation on his upper snout, or muzzle.
It’s not clear if he’s shown catching a fish in the accompanying clip, because he’s mostly submerged, but he apparently was successful Wednesday night.
Reads one comment: “His technique pays off for sure! Was cracking up last night when he was catching them back to back.”
