Voting opens on Wednesday for the annual Fat Bear Week contest at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Viewers will have the chance to select their favorite among a dozen brown bears that have been gaining weight to prepare for the winter ahead.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the event, which honors the resilience of the approximately 2,200 brown bears living in the park along the Alaska Peninsula, extending toward the Aleutian Islands. These bears feast on the plentiful sockeye salmon returning to the Brooks River, often catching fish mid-leap as they navigate a small waterfall to reach their spawning grounds.
A bear’s death impacts the competition
Organizers introduced this year’s contestants a day later than planned due to a tragic event: a female bear known as Bear 402 was killed by a male bear during a struggle on Monday. This incident was captured by the park’s livestream cameras, which have been monitoring bear activity all summer. Earlier in July, viewers also witnessed a male bear taking the life of a cub that accidentally fell over the waterfall.
Matt Johnson, a spokesperson for the park, noted, “National parks like Katmai protect not only nature’s wonders but also its harsh realities. Every bear viewers see on the webcams is battling for survival.”
On Tuesday, explore.org, the nonprofit organization that provides uncensored bear camera feeds and helps organize Fat Bear Week, held a live discussion regarding the bear’s death. Ranger Sarah Bruce commented that the reasons behind the bears’ aggressive encounter remain unknown.
Mike Fitz, explore.org’s resident naturalist, stated, “While we celebrate bears with full bellies and healthy body fat, it’s important to remember that they face real dangers. Their lives can be tough, and their deaths can be painful.”
Gaining weight for survival
This year’s competition features 12 bears, with eight battling it out in the first round while four are given byes to advance directly to the second round. Throughout the summer, these bears have been steadily gaining weight in preparation for hibernation.
By mid-summer, adult male brown bears generally weigh between 600 to 900 pounds (approximately 270 to 410 kilograms). After consuming a diet rich in migrating and spawning salmon—each bear can eat up to 30 fish daily—large males can tip the scales at well over 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms) as they get ready to hibernate. Females, on the other hand, are usually about one-third smaller.
A notable competitor: Bear 909 Jr.
Among the competitors, Bear 909 Jr. stands out; he recently secured the title in the Fat Bear Junior competition for the second time. He will compete against Bear 519, a young female, in the first round. The winner will go on to face Grazer, who is recognized as the reigning champion and one of the strongest bears in the area.
Another first-round match features Bear 903, an 8-year-old male nicknamed Gully for his fondness for seagulls, facing Bear 909, the mother of Bear 909 Jr. The victor here will then challenge Bear 747, a two-time champion named after its impressive size, reminiscent of a jumbo jet.
Feeding frenzy and fierce competition
In another first-round clash, Bear 856, an older, well-known bear due to his large stature, will take on a newcomer, Bear 504, who is raising her second known litter. The winner of this match will then face 32 Chunk, a 20-year-old male estimated to weigh over 1,200 pounds and infamous for consuming 42 salmon in 10 hours.
The last first-round matchup includes Bear 151, a once-playful bear, now known for his increasing dominance, versus Bear 901, a solo female returning to the river after experiencing the loss of her first litter. The victor here will go on to meet Bear 164, affectionately nicknamed Bucky Dent due to a distinctive dent in his forehead.
Voting for this year’s tournament-style competition will remain open until October 8. Last year, the event saw over 1.3 million votes cast.
