In a world where being skinny is one of the most sought-after traits, one contest celebrates only the fattest of the bunch. This is Fat Bear Week.
Every year in Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve, some of the world’s largest brown bears begin storing fat to prepare for winter hibernation. This stored fat provides them with energy for months while the bears enjoy a long slumber in their dens. For these giant creatures, weight gain is a matter of survival.
Live cams are set up throughout national park to monitor the bears throughout the year, with the biggest spotlight on Brooks Falls, a favorite spot for salmon fishing during the summer months. Successful bears can catch and eat 30 salmon—about 120 pounds—in one day. The real question is: which fat bear was the most successful?
From September 22 to 29, the Explore network publishes a single-elimination tournament in which the Katmai bears compete for the title of Fat Bear Week champion. Anyone can vote online, and some fans even fill out a bracket with their predictions. Each contestant has a featured bio and two photos, one taken in July and one in early September, so that voters can see the staggering difference in size.
This year, the candidates included five bear families, two subadults, four single adult females, and five adult males. The final round presented fierce competitors: 910, an adult female, and 89 Backpack, an adult male.
910 was born in 2016 to former Fat Bear Week champion 409 Beadnose. She raised two cubs and has lived alone since 2025, though she is not immune to the attentions of male contestants 151 Walker and 164 Bucky. Given 910’s incredible achievement in weight gain, she would be able to nurse cubs again. For now, she can often be seen lifting her head out of the water as she fishes throughout the Brooks River.
Backpack was born to former Fat Bear Week champion Holly, who introduced him to the Brooks River as a first-year cub in 2006. His nickname was inspired by his habit of climbing onto his mother’s back when they went swimming. It was Holly who cared for him after a significant leg injury, allowing him to heal and go out on his own in 2008. Backpack is known to be less aggressive than his competitors, using a quiet strength to claim prime fishing spots.
With 103,344 votes, the winner of the 2026 Fat Bear Week is…Backpack! The blond-eared gentle giant took the crown from last year’s champion, 32 Chunk, winning the hearts of fans worldwide. He weighs an estimated 1,000-1,200 pounds.