Fat bear week 2026: Chunk returns to defend his title as 16 brown bears compete for the crown

Fat bear week 2026: Fat Bear Week has become a famous yearly event of the brown bears at Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve. As summer concludes, the bears eat more to build the fat reserves that are required for winter, while people in the world follow track their progress and vote for their preferred contestant. The seasonal transformation has become the major part of Fat Bear Week.

Chunk Returns as the Defending Champion

Chunk, officially called Bear 32. He reportedly weighed 544 kilograms when he had won the earlier competition. Other details offered for this year cites Chunk as a 1,200-pound male brown bear.

“His entire mandible, one of his canines and his front teeth are just completely broken,” Katmai National Park ranger Sarah Bruce stated to KTUU. “That bone is completely broken and he’s still able to get really fat. This is a super resilient bear.”

Sixteen Competitors This Year

This year the number of participants for the contest has extended from 12 bears to 16. The competition has also shifted from earlier Fat Bear Junior contests, which showcased individual cubs. This year, whole bear families are being emphasized.

Bruce cited why mothers with cubs experience an additional concern.

“We can kind of show off how the mothers have to feed not only themselves but all of these other cubs with them too,” Bruce stated.

Among this year’s familiar competitors are Chunk and many bears linked to former champions. Bear 903, called Gully, is believed to be the son of Grazer, who was titled as the fattest bear in 2023 and 2024. Backpack, or Bear 89, is the offspring of 2019 champion Holly.

A Contest With a Growing Audience

Fat Bear Week started in 2014 as a one-day event created by Mike Fitz, a former ranger at Katmai. The contest primarily initially utilized Facebook voting before developing into the huge online contest that is famous today.

Previous year, over 1.7 million votes were cast by people from over 100 countries. There is no physical reward for the winning bear; instead, the winner “best exemplifies fatness and success in brown bears,” as per the website.

More Than Just a Competition

Sarah Bruce, who has operated initially at Katmai since 2019, stated watching the bears develop has transformed her perception about conservation. She remembered Bear 428, termed as Studious, as a spring cub when she started working there.

“She could give birth in the den this year. She's looking fat enough to do that. Seeing the bears grow up is really something incredible,” Bruce cited.

With the voting bracket open, Chunk currently faces a fresh team of competitors. As Fat Bear Week continues, voters will choose which bear best illustrates the major seasonal transformation that has made Katmai’s brown bears an international appeal.

FAQs:

Q1. What is Fat Bear Week?

Fat Bear Week is an yearly online contest showcasing brown bears at Katmai National Park and Preserve.

Q2. Where does Fat Bear Week take place?

The contest occurs at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska.