Archive · 18 Sep 2025
Fat Bear Week Returns: Alaskan Bears Compete for Chubbiest Title
Imagine a big contest where you get to vote on the fattest bears!
It's called Fat Bear Week, and it happens every year in Alaska.
The bears in Katmai National Park spend the summer eating lots of salmon to get ready for a long winter's nap.
People watch them on live cameras and vote for their favorite chunky bear.
The bears are judged on how big they look before they hibernate.
Even baby bears get to compete in a special contest.
This year, there's an especially good food supply, so the bears might be extra big!
Fat Bear Week is an annual online contest showcasing brown bears preparing for winter.
Voting is conducted online at www.fatbearweek.org, starting with Fat Bear Jr.
Bears gain weight by gorging on salmon in Katmai National Park, Alaska.
The winner will be announced on September 30th following a single-elimination bracket.
Contestants are judged based on appearance as weighing them is dangerous.
- Who
- Brown bears in Katmai National Park, and online voters
- What
- An online contest where people vote for the fattest brown bears.
- When
- The main event starts next week, with voting for Fat Bear Jr. underway.
- Where
- Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska, and online at fatbearweek.org
- Why
- To showcase bear's preparation for winter and engage the public.
- Event Name
- Fat Bear Week
- Location
- Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska
- Main Event Start
- Next week
- Online Voting
- www.fatbearweek.org
- Winner Announcement
- September 30
- Bear Population (Katmai)
- Approx. 2,200 brown bears