Alaska's Fat Bear Week pits 16 bears against each other for the title

Katmai National Park in Alaska has launched this year’s Fat Bear Week, a public voting contest that runs until September 29. Sixteen brown bears and their families are entered, with former winner Chunk returning after weighing about 544 kilograms in 2025, and newcomer Gully challenging him as the son of two-time champion Grazer. Throughout the summer the bears consume large numbers of salmon—up to 30 fish per day—to accumulate fat for the winter hibernation, during which they may lose roughly one-third of their body mass.

The park provides live streams and before-and-after images so audiences can follow each bear’s progress and cast votes. Since its inception as a Facebook event in 2014, the competition has grown dramatically, receiving over 1.7 million votes from more than 100 countries last year.