This article was originally written by Dean Murray for SWNS — the U.K.’s largest independent news agency, providing globally relevant original, verified, and engaging content to the world’s leading media outlets.
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fattest of them all? Don’t worry, Disney princesses aren’t included in this query — the contenders seeking to be crowned the chubbiest are larger, furrier, and competing in this year’s Fat Bear Week.
The beloved contest playfully pits the brown bears of Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve against each other to celebrate how well the mammals bulk up for winter hibernation. Taking place through Tuesday, Sept. 30, the single-elimination tournament encourages voters to choose the animal they believe best “exemplifies fatness and success in brown bears.”
Aside from providing sustenance during hibernation, body fat is important for adult female bears that give birth in mid-winter and must nurse their cubs without eating while the young ones remain in the den until spring. Adult males, on the other hand, need the extra bulk to challenge competitors, and juveniles require proper nourishment for their rapidly growing bodies. At Katmai, bears feast on salmon and other food from late June to mid-October, fetching their fare from one of the “largest, healthiest runs of sockeye salmon left on the planet.”
The U.S. National Park Service, or NPS, announced this year’s competition Sept. 4 by highlighting last year’s winners. In first place for 2024 was 128 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 named Chunk.
“Big, bold, and bear-y round: A fat bear champ will soon be crowned!” NPS wrote in a Facebook post. “Brace yourselves, bear buffs! #FatBearWeek, the ultimate bracket competition where the public votes for the bear that achieves peak spherical status, is just around the corner!”
Prior to the main event, a “chubby cubby appetizer” — Fat Bear Junior — was held for voters to select which cub they wanted to see compete with the adults for the winning title. This year’s victor was 128 Grazer’s Yearling, nicknamed “128 Jr.” or “Biggie.”
NPS added: “From tubby titans to gargantuan gluttons, get ready to cheer for the heftiest bears in Katmai National Park and Preserve’s Brooks River!”
Meet the contestants below:
128 Grazer’s Yearling
- Tall-bodied female who learned to fish under her mother’s guidance
- Likely weighs more than 200 pounds
- Could be surviving on her own next year
26
- Believed to be the daughter of former winner 435 Holly
- Arrived to Brooks River with a new litter this July
- Preparing to hibernate with her “rambunctious” cubs
32 Chunk
- A male who likely weighs more than 1,200 pounds
- Learned how to eat fish again after a jaw injury
- One of the largest bears
99
- Young male with milk chocolate-colored fur in late summer
- Learning to compete with larger bears for fishing spots
- First Fat Bear Week appearance
128 Grazer
- Boasts notably blond ears
- Mother of 2025 Fat Bear Junior champion
- Ranks higher in the hierarchy than almost all other bears
503
- Adopted as a cub by 435 Holly
- Excels at getting along with other bears
- At the age when male bears reach peak size and strength
602
- Performs a stomping dance when excited
- Was one of the most-seen bears at the river this summer
- Called a “floatato” due to his frequent lounging
609
- Remained with her adoptive family for four years
- Large for her age
- Was the 2022 Fat Bear Junior champion
856
- Frequently licks his lips when fishing
- Was the river’s most dominant bear from 2011 to 2023
- Now is learning to be more patient in his mid-20s
901
- Consistently gets fatter than many other bears
- Preparing for her next round of motherhood
- One of the most prominent females at the river
909
- Her mother was the 2018 Fat Bear Week champion, 409
- Catches salmon on the lip of Brooks Falls
- Exhibits bold fishing behaviors
910
- Sister of 909
- Spent the past four years raising a litter of two cubs
- Learned how to fish from her mother
Download the bracket here and click here to vote in the matchups.
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