Brown bears at Alaska’s Katmai National Park are competing in Fat Bear Week, the public vote that last year drew over 1.7 million ballots worldwide.
From Sept. 22 through Sept. 29, fans are picking a champion in the park’s single-elimination tournament for the brown bear that best shows fatness and success before winter. The winner is set to be crowned on Sept. 29.
ABC News reported that the contest is already in full swing at Katmai National Park & Reserve, where the animals pack on weight on summer salmon runs so they can survive hibernation.
This year’s named contenders include Gully, Walker, Backpack, and Bucky. Last year’s title went to Chunk, a bear noted for size and for bouncing back after a fractured jaw.
Each weekday brings a fresh match-up. The public votes online for the animal voters think best shows the job of a Katmai brown bear: get fat, stay strong, and make it through the cold months.
The competition website puts the standard in plain terms.
The Fat Bear Week site tells voters:
"For each match-up, vote for the bear you believe best exemplifies fatness and success in brown bears,"
That is not a joke about weight for its own sake. In Alaska’s streams, salmon are the fuel. Extra pounds are insurance before the den.
The idea began in 2014 with Mike Fitz, a Katmai park ranger. He saw a fan post two photos of the same bear, one from June, one from September, on a live bearcam feed and noticed how much the animal had changed.
On Sept. 30, 2014, Fitz launched a one-day event called Fat Bear Tuesday. The next year it grew into a full week-long tournament, according to the national park’s account of the origin.
What started as a ranger’s teaching tool now pulls a global crowd. In last year’s contest, more than 1.7 million votes came in from over 100 countries, the park’s Fat Bear Week 2026 press release said.
Park leaders are also watching the youngest bears. Katmai superintendent Mark Sturm said the nursery scene looks busy.
In the Fat Bear Week 2026 press release, Sturm said:
"There are more cubs at Brooks Camp this year than have been seen in a long time,"
He added:
"A new generation of fat bears is taking shape, and they're off to a strong start. We're excited to watch them grow and learn as they prepare for winter in Katmai's incredible ecosystem."
The park frames the whole event as public education about brown bears and the Katmai ecosystem. Teacher resources sit on the park website for classrooms that want to follow along.
No current vote totals or full 2026 bracket beyond the named bears were detailed in the midweek coverage. The remaining match-ups still decide who takes the crown on Sept. 29.
Fat Bear Week works because it is simple, visual, and honest about wild animals: eat well, grow strong, and face winter ready. That is a lesson worth a public vote.
