Massive bear spotted in Minnesota wilderness. ‘Are they supposed to get this big?’

One of Minnesota’s black bears has become a subject of debate on social media for putting on so much weight, its belly is almost dragging on the ground.

The rotund animal lives around Northern Minnesota’s Voyageurs National Park and was recorded on a trail camera set up by the Voyageurs Wolf Project. The park is along the U.S.-Canada border.

“This might be THE fattest bear we have ever seen in our area!” the program wrote on Facebook.

“Unfortunately, we only got one video of this beauty but it is enough to appreciate the bear’s curves and figure. ... It worked hard for that body!”

Only 10 seconds of video were captured, and it shows the predator is so heavy, it seems to lumber past the camera in slow motion.

The clip was posted Wednesday, Dec. 1, and had been watched 26,000 times within seven hours. More than 2,200 people had reacted and commented, including some who suggested it was as big as the grizzlies in Alaska. (Grizzlies get three times the size of a black bear.)

Some wondered if it might be a very pregnant female, but Minnesota black bears don’t give birth until January ”while the mother is denning,” the state Department of Natural Resources says.

That left a lot people guessing the bear’s weight and trying to imagine where it found that much to eat in Minnesota.

“Is he ok? Are they supposed to get this big?” Theresa Elayne asked on Facebook.

“At first I thought maybe something wrong with belly, but it’s fat all over. Even a double chin,” Laurie Spanninga wrote.

“That bear looks like someone stuck a tire inflator in them and pumped,” Anne Olive Craig said.

As for its weight, multiple people guessed as much as 750 pounds, which is 250 pounds bigger than the largest of black bears in the state. (Males can reach about 500 pounds in Minnesota.)

“He’s my spirit animal!” Shawn Parker said.

This story was originally published December 1, 2021 at 5:23 PM with the headline "Massive bear spotted in Minnesota wilderness. ‘Are they supposed to get this big?’."