Tubby titans compete to bear title of fattest bear of 2025
The much-loved contest pits the brown bears of Alaska's Katmai National Park & Preserve against each other as they bulk up for winter hibernation.
By Dean Murray
Hold onto your fish, Fat Bear Week is back.
The much-loved contest pits the brown bears of Alaska's Katmai National Park & Preserve against each other as they bulk up for winter hibernation.
The US National Park Service (NPS) launched this season's competition on Friday (Sep 5) by highlighting some previous year's winners.
The winner of Fat Bear Week 2024 was Grazer, a mother bear who successfully defended her title for the second consecutive year.
She received over 71,000 votes, more than double the votes of her closest rival, a male bear named Chunk.
NPS said: "Big, bold, and bear-y round: a fat bear champ will soon be crowned!
"This is how legends are made. Fat Bear Week , the ultimate bracket competition where the public votes for the bear that achieves peak spherical status, is just around the corner!
They confirmed the event will take place from September 23-30, with a "chubby cubby appetizer", Fat Bear Junior, kicking off on September 18-19.
NPS added: "From tubby titans to gargantuan gluttons, get ready to cheer for the heftiest bears in Katmai National Park & Preserve’s Brooks River!"
Fat Bear Week has been running since 2014, making 2025 its 11th year of celebrating the fattening efforts of brown bears in Katmai National Park.
NPS said this year's bear bios would be revealed soon.
WINNERS SINCE 2018:
2024: Bear 128 Grazer
2023: Bear 128 Grazer
2022: Bear 747
2021: Bear 480 Otis
2020: Bear 747
2019: Bear 435 Holly
2018: Bear 409 Beadnose
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