Sixteen brown bears at Alaska’s Katmai National Park enter Fat Bear Week on Tuesday, with fans voting in a single-elimination bracket for the bear that packed on the most weight before hibernation.
More than 1.7 million votes were cast last year, when Bear 32, Chunk, won despite a broken jaw suffered in June 2025; his title defense opens Wednesday against 9-year-old Bear 164, Bucky.
Wednesday’s opening round also features veteran Bear 151, Walker, against younger rival Gully, and first-time entrant Bear 610 — a mother raising her first known litter — against Bear 89, Backpack.
The contest highlights how brown bears bulk up on salmon to survive winter without eating or drinking, with quarterfinals set for Sept. 24-25 and the championship on Sept. 29.