This bear’s big butt is so beautiful, it just won an award

Yes, bears are big. Depending on the time of year and sex, the average black bear (Ursus americanus) weighs between 90 to 500 pounds. On average brown bears (Ursus arctos) can weigh between 600 to 900 pounds. However, one female black bear named Volverine is a true fat bear queen this year. The U.S. Forest Service team at Tongass National Forest in southeastern Alaska have awarded her with the 2026 Big & Beautiful Award for her heft. 

The rangers say that this mother bear is a “true icon,” who will often pose on a rock for a long time, seemingly allowing the visitors to Anan Wildlife Observatory to take photos. She is regarded as one of the most beautiful bears at Anan, with a chest patch shaped like the letter V. Volverine is also on the bigger end of the black bear spectrum, with a potato-shaped body, and an especially round butt. Her fishing skills made her one of the largest bears of the 2026 season—and a dominant matriarch. 

“Our rangers love to see a fat female bear because that could mean cubs next year!” the rangers write. “Bears have what’s called delayed implantation, meaning they mate in the spring, and IF they get fat enough, the embryos implant in the fall.”

Wishing Volverine and all of the bears the best this winter season. 

Meet the bears of Anan Creek

The rangers at Tongass National Forest are currently awarding the Anan Bear Awards to the 39 bears spotted at the Anan Wildlife Observatory in Alaska over the summer. 

Tongass is the largest national forest in the United States, and covers most of southeastern Alaska, including the state’s capital city of Juneau. The area includes Mendanhall Glacier (a popular destination for Alaskan cruises), hiking trails, eagles soaring above, and plenty of bears. One of the hotspots is Anan Creek, home to one of the largest runs of pink salmon in Southeast Alaska. The run is a very popular dinner spot among black and brown bears.

According to Friends of Anan, 39 bears are known to feast on the salmon at Anan Creek. The population includes 31 black bears and eight brown bears. Like their chunky counterparts farther to the north in Katmai National Park, the bears return each summer to feast on salmon and teach their cubs how to fish in order to survive. And also like the fat bears of Katmai, every bear here has their own habits and quirks. Volverine would fit right in with Katmai’s chunky brown bears, despite the fact that black bears tend to be a bit smaller.  

The U.S. Forest Service tracks and documents every bear spotted at Anan, while explore.org’s cameras broadcast live streams of what they are up to 24/7.