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Fat Bear Week is here and it’s full of chunky Ursidae

<div class="copy"> <p>On the northern Alaskan Peninsula, thousands of brown bears have busily spent the last few weeks gorging themselves on salmon to fatten up and survive the winter. Unbeknown to them, the entire world is watching with a burning question – who will be crowned the Fat Bear Week Champion 2021?</p> <p>Over the next seven days, the chubbiest bears in Katmai National Park and Preserve will be pitted against each other in a series of knockout rounds. The public can <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://explore.org/fat-bear-week" target="_blank">vote online</a>, using any criteria they see fit – such as weight, age, cuteness, or other circumstances – and then next week, a single bear will remain standing.</p> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="entry-content-asset"> <div class="embed-wrapper"> <div class="inner"><iframe title="Fat Bear Week Contenders 2021" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u_kBdhuCVIE?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://cosmosmagazine.com" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div> </div> </div> </div> <p>“From its humble beginnings of Fat Bear Tuesday in 2014 to over 640,000 votes cast last year in 2020, celebrating fat bears and Katmai’s healthy ecosystem has since become a tradition,” the US National Parks Service (NPS) <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nps.gov/katm/learn/fat-bear-week.htm" target="_blank">wrote</a> on its website.</p> <p>The bears are all winners because a fat bear is a healthy bear – fat equals survival.</p> <h2>The annual Fat Bear Week competition</h2> <p>Each year, bears enter a winter den where they remain for the entirety of the long, cold months, unable to eat or drink until they emerge in spring. Over this time, they burn up to a third of their body weight as they draw on their fat reserves just to survive.</p> <p>This makes the six months they spend out in the world crucial – they need to find and eat a year’s worth of food.</p> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="entry-content-asset"> <div class="embed-wrapper"> <div class="inner"> <div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 500px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" class="" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 500px; height: 734px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3NwYWNlX2NhcmQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib2ZmIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1441568250127470592&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fcosmosmagazine.com%2Fnature%2Ffat-bear-week-is-here-and-its-full-of-chunky-ursidae%2F&amp;sessionId=1bd0186a6f7f9719aa8434fd2276c9725d98d3a3&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=fcb1942%3A1632982954711&amp;width=500px" data-tweet-id="1441568250127470592"></iframe></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <h2>Tasty Salmon</h2> <p>Cue the salmon. These fish are one of the most important components of the Pacific ecosystem. After years at sea, they return to their home rivers in autumn months to spawn. It is an epic journey – and the final leg of their lives. From the moment they hit freshwater, their bodies begin to change and decay, but thousands still struggle upstream to the place they were born, in an attempt to reproduce.</p> <p>Bears flock to these rivers to gorge themselves on the protein-rich salmon. In times of plenty, bears will strip away the most nutritious parts of the body, such as the brain, skin and eggs, and cast the rest aside for scavengers.</p> <p>The salmon also end up fertilising the temperate rainforest adjacent to rivers and streams, with benefits for plants, fungi, algae and insects – so to appreciate the gloriously chunky bears is to also have an appreciation of the greater ecosystem.</p> <p>Katmai is home to one of the largest and healthiest runs of sockeye salmon in the world, with the fish pouring up the rivers from late June to September. The bears rely on the annual return of these fish from their ocean migration. They can chow down dozens of salmons and tens of thousands of calories per day, ready to get them through the lean winter.</p> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="entry-content-asset"> <div class="embed-wrapper"> <div class="inner"> <div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 500px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" class="" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 500px; height: 727px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3NwYWNlX2NhcmQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib2ZmIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1178765565273559041&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fcosmosmagazine.com%2Fnature%2Ffat-bear-week-is-here-and-its-full-of-chunky-ursidae%2F&amp;sessionId=1bd0186a6f7f9719aa8434fd2276c9725d98d3a3&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=fcb1942%3A1632982954711&amp;width=500px" data-tweet-id="1178765565273559041"></iframe></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p>This year, 12 finalists have been selected out of the thousands of bears that call the park home.</p> <p>You can check out <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nps.gov/katm/learn/fat-bear-week-2021.htm" target="_blank">photos of the finalists</a> on the NPS website. Find more info about how and when to vote <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://explore.org/fat-bear-week" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <h2>Fat Bear Junior</h2> <p>This year, NPS also announced a new segment of the competition: Fat Bear Junior. It’s even more adorable than it sounds. Pictures of the tubby cubbies can be found <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nps.gov/katm/learn/fat-bear-junior-2021.htm" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="entry-content-asset"> <div class="embed-wrapper"> <div class="inner"><iframe title="Fat Bear Jr! Everything You Need To Know About These Chubby Cubbies!" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A9JPoz_jesM?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://cosmosmagazine.com" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div> </div> </div> </div> <p>You can also keep up with the week’s action on Katmai’s <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nps.gov/katm/learn/fat-bear-week.htm" target="_blank">website</a>, as well as its <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/KatmaiNPS" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.facebook.com/KatmaiNPP/?ref=page_internal" target="_blank">Facebook</a> pages. You can also livestream the bears into your own home through the park’s <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://explore.org/livecams/brown-bears/brown-bear-salmon-cam-brooks-falls" target="_blank">bear cams</a>.</p> <p>All of this is leading up to the fateful day, Tuesday 5 October, when one bear will reign supreme.</p> <p>As NPS writes: “All bears are winners but only one true champion will emerge.”</p> <!-- Start of tracking content syndication. Please do not remove this section as it allows us to keep track of republished articles --> <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=167300&amp;title=Fat+Bear+Week+is+here+and+it%26%238217%3Bs+full+of+chunky+Ursidae" alt="" width="1" height="1" /> <!-- End of tracking content syndication --></div> <div id="contributors"> <p><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/animals/fat-bear-week-is-here-and-its-full-of-chunky-ursidae/">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/lauren-fuge">Lauren Fuge</a>. Lauren Fuge is a science journalist at Cosmos. She holds a BSc in physics from the University of Adelaide and a BA in English and creative writing from Flinders University.</p> <p><em>Image: 747 NPS Photo/N. Boak</em></p> </div>

Family & Pets

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Chunky chicken and vegetable soup

<p>There’s nothing quite as comforting as chicken soup – and this chunky version, chock-full of delicious veggies couldn’t be easier to make.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients:</span></strong></p> <ul> <li>2 tablespoons olive oil</li> <li>1 leek, thinly sliced</li> <li>2 garlic cloves, crushed</li> <li>1 large carrot, diced</li> <li>2 sticks celery, sliced</li> <li>1 large zucchini, diced</li> <li>1 ¼ cups dry soup mix</li> <li>2 litres chicken stock</li> <li>1 cup water</li> <li>1 kg chicken legs</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method:</span></strong></p> <ol> <li>Place a large saucepan over a medium heat and heat the oil.</li> <li>Add the leek and garlic and cook for two minutes, or until soft.</li> <li>Add the carrot, celery and zucchini and cook for a further two minutes. Add the soup mix, stock, chicken legs, and water. Stir everything together and increase the heat to high. Bring to a boil.</li> <li>Reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered for one hour, or until the vegetables are tender – stir occasionally.</li> <li>Remove the chicken legs from the soup and allow to cool slightly. Strip the meat from the bones and tear the chicken into chunks before returning it to the soup ready to serve.</li> </ol>

Food & Wine

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"Chunky" Jamie Oliver hires personal trainer after criticism from fans

<p>Jamie Oliver has hired a personal trainer to lose weight after criticism from fans during his campaign for new methods to tackle childhood obesity rates.</p> <p><a href="https://honey.nine.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Nine Honey reports</strong></em></span></a> the celebrity chef has decided to shift the focus on himself and has reportedly made tremendous strides with the help of celebrity trainer, Jamie Sawyer.</p> <p>“I will get rid of it in the next couple of months. I was always active as a kid and in pretty good nick until maybe the beginning of my 30's. And then I started to get a little bit too chunky,” he said.</p> <p>Last week, Oliver sent a 13-point plan to UK Prime Minister Theresa May, outlining some ideas he had to help reduce the amount of childhood obesity in the country.</p> <p>Interestingly though, his efforts have been faced with a backlash from some fans on Twitter, who labelled him the “fun police” and saw his views somewhat patronising.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Boring old Jamie Oliver banging on again about childhood obesity.. You took away our turkey twizzlers at school now you want to take away adverts on tv 😂🖕🏻 he’s defo the fun police <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThisMorning?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThisMorning</a></p> — Bryony mackenzie (@Bryonymackenzie) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bryonymackenzie/status/989082718230237185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2018</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Sorry Jamie Oliver, life is too short to be constantly healthy eating. I'm all for everything in moderation but trying to shield children from junk food is near enough impossible, they are entitled to a treat every now and then too. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThisMorning?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThisMorning</a></p> — Ry ✌️ (@ryan_mcdonagh) <a href="https://twitter.com/ryan_mcdonagh/status/989082460599324672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2018</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Jamie Oliver is a rich elitist set on making poorer families pay more for their weekly shop. No respect for this man. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ScrapTheSugarTax?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ScrapTheSugarTax</a> <a href="https://t.co/wkfoXOrNTP">https://t.co/wkfoXOrNTP</a></p> — chloe westley (@LowTaxChloe) <a href="https://twitter.com/LowTaxChloe/status/985926342482055168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2018</a></blockquote> <p>But as other users noted, it’s a complicated issue.</p> <p>“I think it goes back to when the British industrial revolution happened- in comparison to the rest of Europe,” Oliver argued.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThisMorning?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThisMorning</a> I’m currently writing my dissertation on childhood obesity and I think there’s still a massive way to go before there’s progression. It’s not a simple issue, culture, environment and society all need to be considered too. <a href="https://twitter.com/thismorning?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thismorning</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/jamieoliver?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jamieoliver</a></p> — emily lovell (@itsonly_emily) <a href="https://twitter.com/itsonly_emily/status/989082436414865408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2018</a></blockquote> <p>“At the heart of that is really an observation of, in my opinion, how women have been let down over the last 40 years, as women have gone to work, as the pot of tax has got bigger, because they’re working. It’s really important, that love and care, especially for children, and how to modern-day, busy, contemporary parents… how do we make their lives easier?”</p> <p>What are your thoughts?</p>

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Chunky ham and vegetable broth

<p>There’s nothing we love more in the middle of winter than a healthy, hearty soup, and this recipe for chunky ham and vegetable broth is just that.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Serves:</span> </strong>6</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients:</span></strong></p> <ul> <li>1kg ham bone or ham hock</li> <li>10 cups water</li> <li>2 sticks celery, sliced</li> <li>2 carrots, peeled and sliced</li> <li>1 onion, finely chopped</li> <li>3/4 cup barley</li> <li>1 leek, sliced</li> <li>1 zucchini, sliced</li> <li>2 potatoes, peeled &amp; chopped</li> <li>2 turnips, peeled &amp; cubed</li> <li>Salt &amp; pepper to taste</li> <li>½ cup parsley finely chopped to garnish</li> <li>Crusty bread to serve</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method:</span></strong></p> <ol start="1"> <li>Place the ham bone and water into a large saucepan and simmer for 1 ½ hours. Remove bone from the pot and tease the meat from the bone and chop into chunks.</li> <li>Return the meat to the pot along with barley and prepared vegetables and simmer for an additional 50-60 minutes until barley is tender.</li> <li>Season to taste and garnish with parsley.</li> <li>Serve hot with crusty bread.</li> </ol> <p><em>Recipe courtesy of <a href="http://www.pork.com.au/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Australian Pork</span></strong></a>. </em></p>

Food & Wine

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Chunky sundried tomato and parmesan dip

<p>You rarely buy store bought pasta sauce, so why settle for store bought dip? This hearty, gourmet, home recipe is what your cheese platters have been missing.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients:</span></strong></p> <ul> <li>1/2 cup semi sundried tomatoes</li> <li>1/2 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley</li> <li>2 tablespoons raw almonds</li> <li>40g parmesan cheese, cut in small chunks</li> <li>100g cream cheese, softened</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method:</span></strong></p> <ol> <li>Place tomatoes, parsley, almonds and parmesan in the bowl of a food processor and blitz to a chunky paste. Add cream cheese and pulse to combine.</li> <li>Serve with vegetable crudités or as a spread for sandwiches.</li> </ol> <p>Tip: Try substituting the semi sun dried tomatoes for roasted red capsicum. The flavour of this dip will intensify with standing, so try making it a few hours before serving.</p> <p>What’s your favourite kind of dip to serve when you’re having guests over? Do you have a personal recipe to share with us? Let us know in the comments below.</p> <p><em>Recipe courtesy of Legendairy. <a href="http://www.legendairy.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Visit their site for more delicious food ideas.</strong></span></a></em></p> <p><strong><em>Have you ordered your copy of the Over60 cookbook, The Way Mum Made It, yet? Featuring 175 delicious tried-and-true recipes from you, the Over60 community, and your favourites that have appeared on the Over60 website, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://shop.abc.net.au/products/way-mum-made-it-pbk">head to the abcshop.com.au to order your copy now.</a></span></em></strong></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/04/salsa-verde/" target="_blank"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Salsa verde</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/04/blue-cheese-dip/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Blue cheese dip</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/04/roast-beetroot-dip/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Roast beetroot dip</span></em></strong></a></p>

Food & Wine

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Chunky steak pie

<p>Whether you’re watching a sporting event or just curling up in front of the TV, nothing hits the spot like a chunky steak pie. Learn how to make the perfect steak pie with this recipe.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients:</span></strong></p> <ul> <li>Olive oil cooking spray</li> <li>¼ cup plain flour</li> <li>500g rump steak, trimmed, cut into 2cm cubes</li> <li>1 tablespoon olive oil</li> <li>1 brown onion, cut into thin wedges</li> <li>200g button mushrooms, sliced</li> <li>2 tablespoons brown onion gravy powder</li> <li>1 sheet frozen ready-rolled 25% reduced-fat puff pastry, thawed</li> <li>2 tablespoons reduced-fat milk</li> <li>Tomato sauce, to serve</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method:</span></strong></p> <ol> <li>Spray four 1-cup capacity ceramic, ovenproof dishes with oil.</li> <li>Place flour and beef in a large snap-lock bag. Seal. Shake to coat.</li> <li>Heat half the oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add half the beef. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining oil and beef.</li> <li>Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to pan. Cook for 3 minutes or until just tender.</li> <li>Add mushrooms. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until mushrooms start to soften. Return beef and juices to pan. Combine gravy powder and 1 cup hot water in a jug. Add to beef mixture.</li> <li>Season with pepper. Stir to combine. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until gravy thickens. Spoon into prepared dishes.</li> <li>Set aside for 10 minutes to cool. Preheat oven to 200°C.</li> <li>Cut pastry sheet into quarters. Place over dishes, trimming excess. Brush pastry with milk.</li> <li>Make 2 small cuts in pastry tops for steam to escape.</li> <li>Bake for 30 minutes or until pastry is golden. Serve with sauce.</li> </ol> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/12/salmon-quiche/">Salmon quiche</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/12/orange-ricotta-and-rosemary-cheesecake-flan/"><strong>Orange, ricotta and rosemary cheesecake flan</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/12/apple-berry-cream-cheese-scrolls/"><strong>Apple berry cream-cheese scrolls</strong></a></em></span></p>

Food & Wine

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