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Troublesome black bear Nugget wins the 2026 Annoying Sibling Award – Popular Science
Nov
Anyone who has brothers and sisters knows that siblings can be your greatest allies and biggest foes all at once. The same principle appears to apply to bear siblings.
A small black bear (Ursus americanus) named Nugget demonstrated that all too well this summer. Nugget is known for his very small stature, a fur pattern that looks like goggles around his eyes, and a reddish coat that shifts to black later in the summer. He also likes to get up in his siblings business.
Over the summer, the U.S. Forest Service team at Tongass National Forest in southeastern Alaska watched Nugget jabbing at his very patient and bigger sibling Crescent. For these antics, Nugget officially won the 2026 Annoying Sibling Award.
“This scene went on for almost 30 minutes. Each time Nugget would slowly creep out and touch Crescent and then they’d seem to play fight,” the rangers write. “It was like watching two siblings fight until the bigger sibling had enough. Well managed ecosystems and recreation sites on national forests like the Tongass provide unique opportunities to witness scenes like this.”
The rangers at Tongass National Forest are currently awarding the Anan Bear Awards to the 39 bears spotted at the Anan Wildlife Observatory in Alaska over the summer.
Tongass is the largest national forest in the United States, and covers most of southeastern Alaska, including the state’s capital city of Juneau. The area includes Mendanhall Glacier (a popular destination for Alaskan cruises), hiking trails, eagles soaring above, and plenty of bears. One of the hotspots is Anan Creek, home to one of the largest runs of pink salmon in Southeast Alaska. The run is a very popular dinner spot among black and brown bears.
According to Friends of Anan, 39 bears are known to feast on the salmon at Anan Creek. The population includes 31 black bears and eight brown bears (Ursus arctos). Like their chunky counterparts farther to the north in Katmai National Park, the bears return each summer to feast on salmon and teach their cubs how to fish in order to survive. And also like the fat bears of Katmai, every bear here has their own habits and quirks.
The U.S. Forest Service tracks and documents every bear spotted at Anan, while explore.org’s cameras broadcast live streams of what they are up to 24/7.
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Laura is Popular Science’s news editor, handling coverage of a wide variety of subjects. Laura is particularly fascinated by all things aquatic, paleontology, nanotechnology, and exploring how science influences daily life.
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