Fat Bear Week was established in 2014 to showcase the resiliency of brown bears at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska. The 2025 competition began on September 24 and runs until September 30, with online voting open to the public. Katmai is located about 300 miles southwest of Anchorage and contains more than 2,200 brown bears within 6,562 square miles. The event features 12 contestants, including “128 Junior,” the cub of “Grazer,” a two-time champion seeking a third title. Bears were matched in a single-elimination tournament. Eight faced each other in the first round, and winners advanced to meet four others who received byes. The contest aims to attract attention to the bears’ seasonal struggle to gain enough fat to endure the severe winter, primarily by feeding on salmon in the Brooks River.

The competition is not only about size but also about the challenges each bear has overcome. Adult males often weigh 700 to 900 pounds in midsummer and can exceed 1,000 pounds by autumn, with exceptional individuals reaching 1,400 pounds. Females are usually half to two-thirds the size of males, yet they endure extra pressure from nursing and protecting cubs. Observers explained that voting sometimes rewards behavior, such as maternal protection, as much as body mass. Grazer defeated a larger rival named “Chunk” in past contests, demonstrating that popularity is shaped by more than physical dominance in the bear hierarchy. This year, an abundant salmon run has led experts to anticipate some of the fattest bears ever recorded, including one contestant described as “cruise ship” sized.