- Fat Albert weights more than 200kgs more than the average polar bear
- Lives in Alaska, where the locals feed the bears
- First captured on film several years ago by photographer Edward Boudreau
Meet Fat Albert – possibly the biggest polar bear in the world today. The polar bear weighs in at 680kgs – the average polar bear tips the scales at 450kg.
Albert was first caught on camera several years ago by photographer Edward Boudreau, around the town of Cactovik in Alaska.
Albert could have got to such a size because there is a plentiful supply of food around as the local townspeople have taken to feeding the bears, according to Boudreau. When a whale is caught by fishermen, locals carve it up and then leave the meat about 4km outside of the town. It seems Albert has been taking full advantage of this service.
There is sound reasoning for this seeming generosity from the local people; if the bears know where food is – and that it is a regular and plentiful supply – they are less likely to come roaming closer to the town in search of food, where they could cause damage or harm people.
The name ‘Fat Albert’ is a reference to a long-running cartoon show, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids. The show ran from 1972 to 1985 and focused on the titular Albert and his gang of friends, who learnt important life and educational lessons through their adventures. Often, episodes would end with a song summarising what the gang had learnt.
But while Fat Albert is big, he is not the biggest polar bear on record. The biggest was shot in Alaska in 1960; it weighed just over 1,00kg and stood 12 feet tall, according to Guiness. The bear was displayed at the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair.
