Fat Bear Week, hosted annually by the Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska, celebrates the peninsula’s brown bears as they prepare for hibernation. Taking place around late September or early October, the public votes in a single elimination tournament to determine which of 12 bears has best prepared for winter. And what is this preparation, you may ask? Eating as much salmon as possible to become the fattest bear of them all.
But Fat Bear Week isn’t just purely for laughs. The competition intends to raise awareness about wildlife conservation and encourage public interest in nature preservation. People “engage” with the bears via webcam feeds, allowing for positive interactions between humans and wildlife.
Fat Bear Week started as Fat Bear Tuesday, created by former Katmai park ranger Mike Fitz in 2014. Fitz saw that online, people were comparing how bears change during preparation season, deciding to turn it into something more. That year, Katmai employees asked visitors to the park to vote for the fattest bear. Bear 480 “Otis” was crowned the 2014 winner and went on to also win in 2016, 2017 and 2021. The following year, the day turned into a week-long online competition. In 2021, Fat Bear Junior was introduced to focus on bear cubs.
To qualify, Katmai bears must visit Brooks Falls during both the summer and fall seasons to catch sockeye salmon. Staff members document the fattening of the bears in early June, selecting 12 bears with an emphasis on creating a varied group and highlighting the bears’ stories. The bears are not tagged but identified by physical characteristics including patterns and the shape of features like ears and noses. An official bear monitor keeps track, all without collars or chips.
Fat Bear Week has had some interesting occurrences, especially in recent years. In the 2022 semifinals, Bear 435 “Holly” seemed to be beating Bear 747, but voter fraud was ultimately detected . It turned out that 9,000 of her votes were illegitimate, having been cast in a short amount of time, and Bear 747 was declared to be the rightful winner. In 2023, the webcam on Dumpling Mountain helped rescue a hiker. In 2024, Bear 469 “Patches” attacked and killed Bear 402 on a livestream the morning that year’s bracket was due to release, postponing voting until the following day.
On a lighter note, the 2025 bears were quite a lovely lineup, featuring several promising first-time contestants. While many of them have been spotted before, 2025 was their first year in the competition.
Bear 26 — thought to be the daughter of Bear 435 “Holly,” 2019’s winner — brought with her a new litter of cubs. Bear 99, while not the strongest or largest, shows potential with his fishing skills. Bear 602 was one of the most frequently-seen bears this summer and is identifiable with a sort of “stomping dance” when excited.
While Bear 128 “Grazer” — winner of the 2023 and 2024 competitions — did not win the 2025 title, her yearling cub won Fat Bear Junior 2025. Bear 503 — another assumed child of Bear 435 “Holly,” having been adopted by her as a yearling cub — is noted for his ability to get along with fellow bears. Bear 856, in his mid-20s, has been facing difficulties as he competes with younger male bears but has shown resilience. Bear 901 has become one of the most recognizable female bears at Brooks River.
There are also legacy family members participating. Bear 909’s assumed mother, Bear 409 “Beadnose,” won in 2015 and 2018, her salmon-catching style resembling that of her mother. Bear 910, 909’s sister, is also competing this year. Bear 609 — Bear 909’s biological child and the champion of 2022 Fat Bear Junior — was adopted by Bear 910 up until this spring, when Bear 910 separated from her litter. Bear 609 has since succeeded in her journey to independence.
This year’s winner was Bear 32 “Chunk,” finally receiving a well-deserved victory after coming in second place in the 2022, 2023 and 2024 competitions. Despite a broken jaw, Chunk still managed to weigh in at an estimated 1,200 pounds. The injury could’ve endangered his life, as it impaired his ability to feed. However, he still managed to adapt and gathered 96,350 votes, beating Bear 856 in the finals, who got 63,725 votes.
Fat Bear Week has become an internet sensation, going from roughly 1,700 total votes in 2014 to a record-breaking 1.6 million total votes in 2025. This popularity has helped raise awareness and fundraise for Katmai National Park. The Otis Fund, named after the four-time winner, launched during Fat Bear Week 2020. This fundraiser directly supports conservation efforts at Katmai to preserve the bears and salmon.
While details about 2026’s Fat Bear Week have not yet been released, the Brooks River will likely start being monitored again around June 2026. As with past years, voting will likely begin September or October 2026. The 2026 Fat Bear Calendar is currently in the works, made up of supporters’ photo submissions and expected to be released around November.
In the meantime, fans can continue to tune in to Katmai’s bear cams to see if they can catch a glimpse of these remarkable bears.
