Otis, also known as Bear 480 (c.1996-c.2023), was a brown bear living in Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska. He was best known for winning Fat Bear Week four times: in 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2021. [1] His appearances on Katmai bear cameras and in Fat Bear Week earned him an online following, and Katmai named a fund after the bear. [2] [3] [4]
Otis was first identified at Brooks Falls in 2001, at which point he was estimated to be 4-6 years old. [5]
Otis became known for his patient fishing strategy, choosing to sit on the shore of the Brooks River and scoop up fish rather than actively seek out fish within the river. He also tended to avoid conflict with other bears, leading him to be called a "zen master". [5] [6] [7]
In 2019, Otis was estimated to weigh over 900 pounds (410 kg) as he entered hibernation. [8] Otis's right ear is floppy due to a healed injury. [5] By 2021, Otis was missing two of his canine teeth. [9] One ranger noted in 2023, "if you see a bear with a floppy left[ sic ] ear, who’s pretty old and he’s got like two teeth, that is definitely 480". [10] Some bear cam viewers suggested he "resembles a well-loved teddy bear". [5]
After being spotted every summer from 2001 to 2023, Otis did not return to Brooks River in 2024 or 2025. Given his age, rangers suspected he had died, and noted it was unlikely but possible that he had chosen to summer elsewhere in Katmai. [5] [11]
