Where the Wild Things Aren’t
They’re smarter than we think
Resolute, squeezeable marvel Greets passersby with patient Disregard for their reactions, Having its own mission to fulfill Which does not include interacting With stressed-out, civilized soft ones Blind to what is right in front of them: Sidewalk’s mica wink, trash whirlwind.
Stuffed, fluffy one watches closed faces Hurry past, protecting hearts and minds Shut down from anything but daily missions To earn, to learn, to be more than now. Unblinking eyes recognize magic strings Connecting this one to that one over there If blinkered focus allowed possibilities With no name, no logical purpose.
This is why we are drawn to brown bears Fattening up for winter’s torpor, Watching them devour fresh-caught salmon, Defending young or prime fishing spot From all comers, even bigger ones. They are naturally brilliant, endlessly creative In what must be done, the games to be played When bellies are full, naps done and over.
It’s a big week, HUGE one might say.
This is the week of voting for the fattest bear in Katmai National Park, Alaska.
Brown bears hibernate through harsh winters. To sustain themselves, they must have considerable fat reserves for months of sleep and torpor.
Lucky bears are fortunate to live in Katmai. They fish on the Brooks River all summer long, eating hundreds of fish and fattening up into sleek, round marvels.
Park rangers study the bears with remote cameras, only intervening in cases of extreme emergency such as freeing a bear snared by an illegal trap.
It’s quiet out there.
Really quiet.
The bears are full-out, natural geniuses living their best lives, with preferences, personalities, and history. The rangers number them, name them, know bear stories by heart.
Years ago, the rangers formalized what had no doubt been an informal betting pool on which bear is the fattest.
The once one-day event has now become a weeklong celebration of bears, complete with brackets and high-stakes strategies.
Tomorrow, October 5, is the first day of voting for fattest bear. While size and “fatness” matter for thriving and surviving, other factors come into play such as loyalty to kin, hard luck stories, personality, and defining characteristics such as blond ears.
I know what I’ll be doing tomorrow.
For now, there is research to be done on individual bears up for the honor.
