Fat Bear Week is official in progress. The 10th annual contest will determine which 2024 hefty snowbird is currently eating salmon in Alaskan territories. Katmai National Park. Millions of people will tune in from October 2 to 8 Discover.org‘s live streams with a view Brooks River– one of the most popular places in the region for brown bears to chow down and hunker down before winter arrives. More than 1.3 million people voted last year and relied on these video feeds to catch a glimpse of the bears in action. That puts a lot of responsibility on people like BJ Kirschhoffera conservation technologist who works with Explore.org to ensure cameras are properly sited, installed and maintained, not only for Fat Bear Week, but also for nature reserves all over the world.
“You know, there’s not really a ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to where our cameras are mounted,” says Kirschoffer Popular science. “We can bolt things to rocks if there are rocks there. If it’s just sand, we have big screws that we send into the earth to hold our stuff in place. We have become experts in our adaptability and working in a place where there is no hardware store.”
But Kirschoffer says his team is “pretty lucky” at Brooks Falls, as the logistics are simpler than at some of Explore.org’s other feed locations, such as underwater coral reefs or owl nests. The national park has a long history of tourists coming both to fish and to peek at the bears. A raised platform built near the river provides a vantage point for people (and keeps them separated from hungry predators), so Kirschoffer’s crew took advantage of that for Fat Bear Week by mounting their cameras directly on the structure.
“The camera footage is the same view you might have standing there at Brooks Falls,” he said.
Yet the annual event’s famous fat bears don’t live and eat in the most easily accessible part of the world, especially during winter, when the forests are covered in snow. Therefore, the bear cams must be resilient enough to withstand extreme climate conditions, and support enough power to keep operating for a long time. At Brooks Falls this means a combination of both off- and on-grid cameras. Given the high winds that regularly sweep through the park, you might think it could be a constant source of sustainable energy, but as Kirschhoffer explains, the wind speeds work against them.
“We played a bit with wind generators… [but] I mean, that’s where you can witness the true raw power of nature from time to time,” he says. “You’re really not that far from Bristol Bay when you’re at Brooks Camp. The powers there, what it can do again is just, I mean, it’s pretty amazing.
Fortunately, solar energy has become a cheap and reliable alternative to keep cameras running almost 24/7. However, as with any technology, regular maintenance is required. Kirschhoffer estimates that repairs are needed at Brooks Falls about twice a year, usually due to wind or water damage. Other locations, such as marine environments, can be even more difficult for cameras and require annual adjustments. Ideally, Kirschhoffer says repairs are only needed every two years in most locations.
As for the cameras themselves, expect state-of-the-art, high-tech installations. In reality, most setups (including Fat Bear cams) are pretty mundane. Perhaps you own similar installations yourself.
“You know, most of our stuff that we use is security cameras,” Kirschhoffer says. “Especially because these things are really tailor-made for the outdoors.”
These setups also often include features like “Pan-Tilt-Zoom” capabilities that allow controllers to adjust angles in real time, and their wipers are perfect for the humid environment of Brooks Falls. Kirschhoffer says he has used cameras from most major security camera manufacturers. While your home cameras may only catch the occasional package delivery person or dog walker, it’s at least nice to know that they can probably film an internationally beloved fat bear match in a pinch.
“I think it’s quite special to be involved in something like this,” says Kirschhoffer. “The places where we usually place these cameras are very inaccessible or very expensive to reach. So to be able to provide free insight that people, for whatever reason, can’t get there… That’s quite special. I’m glad people like it as much as I do.”
The Fat Bear tuning bracket continues through October 8, but thanks to Kirschhoffer and Discover.orgfans can tune into Brooks Falls all year long.