Voting begins Wednesday for the annual Fat Bear Week contest at Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve, where fans can select their favourite among a dozen brown bears that have fattened up in preparation for winter, according to the Associated Press. This marks the 10th anniversary of the popular competition, celebrating the resilience of the park’s 2,200 brown bears, which feast on the abundant sockeye salmon returning to the Brooks River.
A delay in announcing contestants
The announcement of this year’s contestants was delayed by a day due to the tragic death of Bear 402, a female bear, who was killed by a male bear during a fight on Monday.The park’s livestreaming cameras captured the incident. Park spokesperson Matt Johnson said, “National parks like Katmai protect not only the wonders of nature but also the harsh realities. Each bear seen on the webcams is competing with others to survive.”
Katmai National Park ranger Sarah Bruce noted that the reasons behind the bears’ aggressive behaviour remain unclear. Mike Fitz, the resident naturalist for explore.org, acknowledged the duality of celebrating the bears’ success while recognising the “ferocity” and challenges they face. “The risks that they face are real. Their lives can be hard, and their deaths can be painful,” he said.
Bracket battles and heavyweights
This year’s competition features a bracket of 12 bears, with eight facing off in the first round while four receive byes to the second. These bears have been packing on the pounds throughout the summer, preparing for their winter hibernation. Adult male brown bears typically weigh between 600 to 900 pounds (about 270 to 410 kilograms) in mid-summer, but can tip the scales at over 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms).
Fans are encouraged to vote not just for the largest bears but for those that “best exemplify fatness and success in brown bears.” Among the contestants is Bear 909 Jr, who recently claimed victory in the Fat Bear Junior competition. He will face Bear 519, a young female, in the first round. The winner will go up against the defending champion, Grazer, one of the most formidable bears in the river.
Notable matchups
Other notable first-round matchups include Bear 903, known as Gully for his taste for seagulls, facing off against Bear 909, the mother of Bear 909 Jr. The winner will challenge Bear 747, a two-time champion named after the massive aircraft. In another match, Bear 856, an older and well-recognised bear, will compete against newcomer Bear 504, who is raising her second known litter. The victor will face 32 Chunk, a colossal 20-year-old bear reputed for consuming 42 salmon in just 10 hours.
The final matchup features Bear 151, a once-playful bear nicknamed Walker, against Bear 901, a solo female returning to the river after losing her first litter. The winner will go up against Bear 164, affectionately named Bucky Dent due to an indentation in his forehead.
Voting for this year’s tournament-style bracket is open until October 8, with more than 1.3 million votes cast last year.