Prepare to vote in the annual bear eating competition at Katmai National Park in Alaska. Each year, the National Park Service (NPS) holds what’s known as Fat Bear Week. It’s an elimination-style tournament where the public votes on bears that excel in gaining weight before hibernation.
This year’s voting commences on Tuesday. The tradition began in 2014 when ranger Mike Fitz noticed a fan posting before-and-after images of a bear showing its weight increase from June to September. Fitz was inspired to find a way to showcase the remarkable changes bears undergo in this period.
Originally a one-day event, the celebration has grown into a week-long spectacle of bear fatness. According to the NPS, gaining fat is crucial for brown bears’ survival. Fat provides fuel for bears during hibernation, a time when their metabolic rate drops significantly. During hibernation, bears may lose up to a third of their body weight as they subsist solely on their stored fat.
Voters in Fat Bear Week can choose based on any criteria they prefer, whether it’s size, the bear’s story, or its unique charm. Last year’s winner, Chunk, weighing 1,200 pounds, triumphed despite a broken jaw from fighting another bear.
Bear 32 Chunk at Katmai National Park on Sept. 19, 2024.
(Photo: E. Johnston/National Park Service via AP)
In 2025, approximately 1.5 million votes were cast in the competition. The 2026 tournament bears can be seen here, and voting starts at 12 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday. A new winner will be announced on Sept. 29.
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