‘Are they supposed to get this big’: Abnormally large black bear spotted on nature trail cam

A black bear in Minnesota has garnered attention on social media for its abnormal size and weight, with a nature trail cam capturing the animal walking with its stomach almost hitting the ground with each step.

The bear was caught on film just south of the Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota on 7 October, Fox 9 reported. The Voyageurs Wolf Project installed the camera in the park running along the border between the US and Canada.

“This might be THE fattest bear we have ever seen in our area!” the Facebook account for the project posted along with the video on 1 December. “How much do you think this porker weighs?! Unfortunately, we only got one video of this beauty but it is enough to appreciate the bear’s curves and figure...it worked hard for that body!”

“We are still going through trail camera footage from this past summer and fall where we are finding and trying to share some gems like this!” the project added. “With the number of cameras we have out, it takes quite an effort to get through all of the footage.”

The video shows the bear for ten seconds, slowly walking past the camera.

“Is he ok? Are they supposed to get this big?” one viewer asked on Facebook.

“He’s completely fine. Bears in northern Minnesota try to gain 30 to 50 per cent of their weight since they hibernate and may not eat for 6 to 7 months,” Steph Horner at the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary responded. “I suspect he’s actually a bear from my sanctuary in Orr and managed to find additional food sources after we closed for the season.”

“At first I thought maybe something wrong with belly, but it’s fat all over. Even a double chin,” another viewer added.

Some viewers thought the Minnesota bear could rival the winner of Fat Bear Week put on by Alaska’s Katmai National Park, explore.org, and the Katmai Conservancy, which celebrates the park and its brown bears.

Taking home his fourth title, 480 Otis won this year’s event, beating the younger 151 Walker in the final round, NPR reported in October. Otis is thought to be around 25 years old.

“An adult male black bear can weigh up to 600 pounds, females up to 350 pounds. Although brown bears resemble black bears, they are generally larger than black bears. On average, an adult female brown bear weighs between 300 to 800 pounds, an adult male between 400 to 1200 pounds,” according to The National Park Service.