In anticipation of the upcoming hibernation season, burly bears are competing to be crowned the fattest brown bear as part of Fat Bear Week, an online voting competition for the public to choose their favorite and plumpest at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska.
Fat Bear Week is a single-elimination style tournament where the bear with the most votes is anointed Fat Bear Week champion, according to the Katmai Conservancy.
Voters have the chance to see how the bears looked in the spring and compare them to their current shape, often many pounds heavier in preparation for the winter, and watch them through livestreams. It is recommended that people cast their ballot for the bear they feel most exemplifies fatness and success as a brown bear, according to the competition guidelines. Voting will end on Tuesday, Sept. 30.
Some of the standout bears are Bear 602, 32 Chunk and 128 Grazer. Last year, Grazer and Chunk faced off in the finals — with Grazer being victorious — and it’s possible there will be a rematch, as both bears are looking especially robust. Chunk is looking for a comeback, as he is perhaps exceeding 1,200 pounds this go-around despite facing a setback at the start of the season, suffering a broken jaw in a fight with another bear. It looks like Chunk has adapted and persevered; he will look to take the fattest bear crown despite the fact that his jaw will remain a permanent disability, according to Katmai Conservancy.
The event shines a light on bears’ roles in their ecosystem, Cesar Bustillos, the science education coordinator for the Albuquerque BioPark, wrote to the Daily Lobo.
“A fat bear is an indicator of how healthy an ecosystem is. If a bear is finding plenty of food, that means other animals are finding food as well,” Bustillos wrote.
Bears have many ways they can grow fat. In addition to being apex predators that hunt animals such as deer, bears are also scavengers and help clean up the environment by removing dead carcasses. Bears will also snack on berries and plants, helping to disperse seeds throughout the environment. When bears aren’t using their winter den, they help the environment by subletting to wolves, foxes, coyotes or badgers during the summer, Bustillos wrote.
A fat bear is also a sign of a healthy bear, with the fat being able to store energy and allow for vital organ functions to continue even in winter when food is nearly impossible to find, Bustillos wrote.
“Fat also contains water, so it helps keep the bear hydrated,” Bustillos wrote. “They have another amazing adaptation in which they will repurpose their urine and feces. The bear’s body is able to breakdown urine and feces into proteins which is then utilized by muscle and skeletal tissue. When the bears wake up in spring their muscle mass and bone density is strong and healthy.”
The contest also includes a junior bear section where cubs compete against one another. This year, the winner of Fat Bear Week Jr. was the cub of 128 Grazer, a participant in the main competition and fattest bear of 2024. 128 Jr. grew into a fine young bear, as she likely weighs more than 200 pounds. She has refined her fishing skills and expanded her sociability with attempts to play with other cubs and young adult bears. Her advancements come at a vital time in her development, as she may have to strike out on her own next year as she approaches the time when mothers and cubs begin to separate, according to her Katmai Conservancy bear biography.
“Fat Bear Week is a great way to engage audiences. It is amazing to see the transformation bears go through when getting ready for hibernation. As folks follow their favorite bear bulk up for the winter; they can see where they have recorded eating and what they have been eating,” Bustillos wrote.
Maria Fernandez is the copy editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at copy@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
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Jaden McKelvey-Francis is the editor-in-chief of the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at editorinchief@dailylobo.com or on X @jadenmckelvey
