Karmactive Staff
Fat Bear Week, the popular online tournament celebrating Alaska’s chunky brown bears, starts earlier than usual this year on September 23. The weeklong competition, running through September 30, allows people worldwide to vote for the bear they believe has gained the most impressive weight before winter hibernation.
“This year’s salmon run was extraordinary, with salmon numbers surpassing anything seen in recent memory,” said Matt Johnson, Katmai National Park’s interpretation program manager. “As a result, the brown bears of Katmai are well-nourished and looking for other things to do besides scrapping with each other for food.”
The event typically begins in October, but park officials moved it up because the bears have already reached peak condition thanks to the abundant salmon in Brooks River and throughout Bristol Bay. More than just a fun competition, Fat Bear Week serves as an educational tool about the relationship between healthy ecosystems, salmon runs, and bear survival.
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Before the main event, Fat Bear Junior—featuring only bear cubs—runs September 18-19, with the winner advancing to compete against the adults. The full tournament bracket will be revealed on September 22, when fans will learn where returning champions like 128 Grazer, 480 Otis, and 747 (nicknamed “Bear Force One”) will be positioned.
Last year’s competition drew over 1.2 million votes from more than 100 countries, showing its growing global popularity since it began as “Fat Bear Tuesday” in 2014 with just 1,700 votes. Voting takes place daily on fatbearweek.org between 12-9 p.m. Eastern Time (9 a.m.-6 p.m. Pacific).
“The astonishing salmon runs in Katmai are essential to the survival of the park’s ecosystem and brown bears,” said Mark Sturm, Katmai Park Superintendent. “Fat Bear Week enables people from around the world to actively engage in learning about bears while cheering for their favorite competitor.”
This year brings compelling storylines. Defending champion Grazer returns with a yearling cub, while fan-favorite 32 Chunk has overcome a broken jaw injury from earlier this summer. According to the Katmai Conservancy, Chunk has adapted to his injury and has even been “playing gently with younger bears like 503.”
The bears’ remarkable weight gain is driven by a condition called hyperphagia, which suppresses the chemical telling their bodies they’re full. This allows bears to eat continuously to build fat reserves for winter. Some bears can consume over 40 salmon in a single day. By fall, large male bears often exceed 1,000 pounds, with some reaching an estimated 1,400 pounds.
The abundant salmon in 2025 has also led to noticeable behavioral changes. “This year there was less congregating at Brooks Falls, less fighting, and—astonishingly—noticeably more playtime with each other,” Johnson observed. This contrasts with 2024, when the competition was delayed after a fatal bear fight when one large bear killed another.
Katmai National Park and Preserve, home to approximately 2,200 brown bears, hosts about 80-100 bears at Brooks River annually. Only 12 bears compete in Fat Bear Week, selected based on their regular appearances where the park’s live cameras are positioned. These “bearcams,” operated by Explore.org, allow viewers worldwide to watch the bears fish, eat, and interact in their natural habitat.
As bears enter hibernation, they can lose up to one-third of their body weight. For females, sufficient fat reserves are necessary for a successful pregnancy. The competition highlights how a “fat bear is a successful bear,” ready to survive Alaska’s harsh winter.
Viewers can watch the action live through bear cams on Explore.org throughout the week. Fat Bear Week is a partnership between the National Park Service, Explore.org, and the Katmai Conservancy.
The single-elimination tournament concludes on September 30, when one bear will be crowned the 2025 Fat Bear Week champion.
