Sixteen bears are facing off for Fat Bear Week 2026, the annual tournament among the chunkiest bruins at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska. The bracket expanded from last year’s 12 competitors, and the defending champion, Chunk, is back to defend the crown.
The first round of voting started Tuesday, Sept. 22, and was extended to Wednesday after bear lovers “broke the internet,” park officials said. Some voters couldn’t access the polls, forcing organizers to reopen the matchup.
Online voting for favorite bears runs from 12 to 9 p.m. ET, with people picking which bear has gained the most weight during the winter season. The contest stays open until Sept. 29, when a winner is chosen.
The Bracket’s History
The Fat Bear Week celebration began in 2014, as a single-day showcase for the bears of southwest Alaska. By 2025, it had grown into a global phenomenon, attracting more than 1.7 million votes from viewers in over 100 countries, according to figures from the National Park Service.
This year’s field includes Chunk, the 2025 titleholder, who has healed from the broken jaw he sustained last year. All sixteen contenders are vying to become the new champion.
Watching the Bears Live
The multimedia group Explore.org, which works with the National Park Service on the contest, broadcasts a series of livestreams. Viewers can see the bears in their native setting at Katmai through these streams.
The preserve has several live cameras placed around it, with some set up along Brooks Falls, where brown bears regularly catch fish and take naps. Online talks and Q&A sessions with park rangers are held from time to time so they can answer audience questions.
Bears Have Reached Peak Fat
On Monday, Mike Fitz, who works as a naturalist at Explore.org, reported that the bears have finally reached “peak fat”, having spent “gorging on salmon, berries and other foods” going through the process all summer long.
“Bears get fat to survive, and fat is the fuel that powers their ability to endure the monthslong famine that is winter hibernation,” Fitz said during a livestream.
Park ranger Troy Hunt, who works at Katmai, said that these large animals can survive for four to six months without taking a single meal.
A Record Number of Cubs
Officials at the park have pointed out that the number of cubs at Brooks Camp is higher than it has been in a long while. According to Fitz, more than 100 distinct bears have been spotted at Brooks River thus far via the webcams.
“A new generation of fat bears is taking shape, and they’re off to a strong start. We’re excited to watch them grow and learn as they prepare for winter in Katmai’s incredible ecosystem,” Park Superintendent Mark Sturm said in a statement.
The Contenders
Here are the 16 bears in the bracket:
- Chunk (32) — the defending champion who healed from a broken jaw
- Backpack (89) — known for his quiet toughness and blond ears
- Walker (151) — a growing adult male with a pear-shaped body
- Bucky (164) — grew big after finding a fishing spot at Brooks Falls
- Gully (903) — named for his habit of chasing and eating gulls along Brooks River
- 132 — one of the largest and most experienced mama bears at Brooks River
- Electra (284) — competing against her cub, 901, while raising two spring cubs
- 610 — smaller than other adult females but mighty and resilient, with two spring cubs
- 806 — raised her own cub while adopting another, Biggie, into her life
- 901 — recognized for her “exceptional fat-building ability” and strong fishing skills
- 620 — came from a big family that traveled closely and raised cubs together
- 694 — found a different feeding spot to avoid competing with older bears
- Marshmallow (131) — light brown to blond and fatter than ever this year
- Studious (428) — daughter of Grazer, a former Fat Bear Week champion
- 909 — another competitor whose parent was a former winner, recently lost two cubs
- 910 — 909’s sister, with multiple ways to catch food and several feeding spots
What the Contest Means
The contest honors the bears’ remarkable skill at surviving winter. Through fattening up during autumn, they stockpile the energy required to last through months of hibernation without eating.
How to Follow the Action
Explore.org’s livestreams are the finest method for watching the bears in action. The cameras at Brooks Falls give viewers a front-row seat to both the salmon runs and the bears’ everyday activities.
Online ranger talks and question-and-answer sessions are on offer too, letting viewers pick up more about the creatures they’re watching.
The Winner Will Be Decided
Voting closes Sept. 29, and the winner of Fat Bear Week 2026 will be announced soon after.
Nature is being celebrated through this contest, and the bears are contributing to it.
See the video the story is built around at CBS News.
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