Bear with multiple tapeworms sticking out of its butt wins award
As intestinal parasites go, tapeworms are the stuff of nightmares. Though they can grow over 80 feet long in extreme cases, they often measure less than one-inch-wide. The intestinal parasites feast on their hosts, sucking valuable nutrients from mammals.
And then there’s the havoc they wreak on bear butts. One bear spotted in southeastern Alaska’s Tongass National Forest this summer knows all about that. The unnamed bear was spotted with multiple long tape worms poking out of its butt as it walked along Anan Creek.
“Seeing bears with a tapeworm is not uncommon at Anan,” the Rangers write. “but seeing one bear with multiple long tapeworms … yikes!”
For its service as a host to these long worms, the Rangers awarded this bear the 2026 Host with the Most Award. It’s a reminder that nature can truly be gnarly.
Meet Bears of Anan Creek
The United StatesThe Forest Service team at Tongass National Forest are currently doling out the Anan Bear Awards to the 39 bears spotted at the Anan Wildlife Observatory in Tongass National Forest.
The nation’s largest national forest, Tongass covers most of Southeast Alaska, including the capital city of Juneau. The area includes Mendanhall Glacier (a popular destination for Alaskan cruises), numerous hiking trails, eagles, and plenty of bears. One of the hotspots is Anan Creek, home to one of the largest runs of pink salmon in Southeast Alaska.
According to Friends of Anan, 39 known bears feast on the salmon at Anan Creek. The population includes 31 black bears (Ursus americanus) and eight brown bears (Ursus arctos). Like their counterparts further to the north in Katmai National Park, the bears return here every summer to eat salmon and teach their young how to fish and survive. And also like the bears of Katmai, every bear here has their own habits.
The U.S. Forest Service tracks and documents every bear and explore.org’s cameras broadcast live streams of their antics.
LIVE Anan Bear Cam: Lower Falls & Caves – Alaska | explore.org
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