“Tubby Teddy”: Enormously fat bear spotted in South Okanagan

Bears are out and about in Kamloops and the Okanagan every fall stuffing themselves with any food they can find to put on fat for the coming winter hibernation in a biological behaviour called hyperphagia.

One bear in Trout Creek near Summerland, lovingly known by some locals as ‘Tubby Teddy,’ appears to be fat enough for two hibernations after raiding orchards this past month.

South Okanagan wildlife photographer Lois Carson Dickinson has been watching the chonky bear for four weeks and recently snapped a photo of it.

“It has really bulked up in the past two weeks, following the food sources which are mostly agricultural spaces,” she said in a message to iNFOnews.ca. “Right now, it’s just focussed on food and food alone.”

It is one of several bears Dickinson has been quietly observing in the Similkameen this fall, and the fattest one.

She declined to provide any further details on the bear including its whereabouts out of consideration for its welfare.

Bears are particularly susceptible to human/wildlife conflicts in the fall during hyperphagia when they are more likely to get into garbage, orchards and birdfeeders, according to The Fur-Bearers. They recommend communities secure garbage, harvest fruit promptly and remove outdoor attractants to keep bears safe.

Tubby Teddy should be waddling into hibernation within the next month or two if he can fit still fit into his den.