Let the Chunk-off Begin: Fat Bear Week Contest Returns to Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve

The annual Fat Bear Week contest at Alaska's Katmai national park and preserve has begun, with viewers voting for their favorite among a dozen brown bears that have fattened up to survive the winter. This year marks the 10th year of the contest, which celebrates the resiliency of the 2,200 brown bears that live in the preserve on the Alaska peninsula.

The animals gorge on the abundant sockeye salmon that return to the Brooks River, sometimes chomping the fish in midair as they try to hurdle a small waterfall and make their way upstream to spawn. The non-profit explore.org, which helps organize Fat Bear Week, recently hosted a live conversation about the death of a female bear, Bear 402, who was killed by a male bear during a fight. The cameras set up in the park to live stream footage of the bears all summer captured the killing, and in late July a male bear attacking a cub that later slipped over the waterfall.

The bracket features 12 bears, with eight facing off against each other in the first round and four receiving byes in the second round. They have all been packing on the pounds all summer. Adult male brown bears typically weigh 600 to 900lb in mid-summer, while females are about one-third smaller.

In the first round, Bear 909 Jr, who won the Fat Bear Junior competition for the second time, will face Bear 519, a young female. The winner will face the defending champion, Grazer, who is described as one of the most formidable bears on the river. Another first-round match pits Bear 903, an eight-year-old male, against Bear 909, the mother of Bear 909 Jr.

The contest is not just about spectacle, but also about the harsh realities of the bears' lives. As park spokesperson Matt Johnson said, "National parks like Katmai protect not only the wonders of nature, but also the harsh realities. Each bear seen on the webcams is competing with others to survive." Voting in this year's tournament-style bracket is open through October 8.

Alaska’s Fat Bear Week begins late after contestant killed by another bear

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