"When the bear, nicknamed Chunk, lost two finals in a row, he gained a reputation as a loser. When Chunk mauled and killed the cub of Grazer, last year's winner, he gained a reputation as a sore loser. When Chunk dragged away the carcass of another dead bear in order to eat it, he gained a reputation as just kind of a bad dude. Chunk is trouble."
"Chunk is a fat bear; no one denies this. But he reported for competition this spring in a new and unlikely role: that of underdog. Chunk showed up in June with a huge scar across his muzzle, and a broken and dislocated jaw, almost certainly received in battle with another male during a mating-season fight. It's unclear which bear would dare tussle with the 1,200-pound Chunk, one of Katmai's largest bears, but for once in his life, Chunk got his shit rocked."
Bear 32, nicknamed Chunk, accrued a controversial reputation through repeated Fat Bear Week losses and aggressive acts, including mauling a cub and scavenging another bear's carcass. Chunk arrived in June with a large facial scar and a broken, dislocated jaw likely sustained in a mating-season fight with another male. Rangers worried the injury would prevent him from catching enough salmon or consuming the roughly 50,000 calories per day needed to build winter fat reserves. Public sympathy for the wounded, large male grew, and fan support culminated in Chunk winning Fat Bear Week after three consecutive finals appearances.
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