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Bear with multiple tapeworms sticking out of its butt wins award
Yahoo • • science
Key Points:
- A bear in southeastern Alaska's Tongass National Forest was observed with multiple long tapeworms protruding from its rear, highlighting the impact of intestinal parasites on wildlife.
- Tapeworms, which can grow over 80 feet long but are often less than an inch wide, feed on their mammalian hosts by absorbing nutrients, sometimes causing significant health issues.
- The Tongass National Forest Rangers humorously awarded the infected bear the "2026 Host with the Most Award" to acknowledge its extreme parasite burden.
- Tongass National Forest, the largest in the U.S., is home to 39 known bears at Anan Creek, a key site for pink salmon runs where bears gather each summer to fish and teach survival skills to their young.
- The bear population at Anan Creek consists of 31 black bears and 8 brown bears, each exhibiting unique behaviors similar to those observed in bears at Katmai National Park.
