Fat Bear Week Returns to Katmai National Park as Defending Champion Chunk 32 Spotted

The Fat Bear Week buzz is back at Alaska’s Katmai National Park - and so is last year’s champion.

Chunk 32, a 1,200-pound male brown bear, was spotted on live cameras Wednesday at the park’s southwestern Brooks Falls.

Chunk’s landslide win last year was remarkable, officials say, given the fact he had injuries including a broken jaw. It remains unknown how his injuries were sustained.

“His entire mandible, one of his canines and his front teeth are just completely broken,” Katmai National Park ranger Sarah Bruce told KTUU Thursday. “That bone is completely broken and he’s still able to get really fat. This is a super resilient bear.”

But whether Chunk can keep his crown this season is up for debate.

“There are more cubs at Brooks Camp this year than have been seen in a long time,” Park Superintendent Mark Sturm said in a statement. “A new generation of fat bears is taking shape, and they’re off to a strong start.”

When is Fat Bear Week?

Chunk’s competitors in the September 22-29 battle royale - the 12th annual Fat Bear Week - are expected to be announced Friday.

Last year, a dozen furry competitors faced off in single-elimination brackets for online voters, who took part from more than 100 countries.

Over 1.7 million votes were cast by the time the week was over, according to the National Park Service - a far cry from fewer than 1,700 votes when the contest first started.

There is no actual prize for the bears, but the winner "best exemplifies fatness and success in brown bears," officials say on the contest website.

Why fat bears?

Firstly, why not? However Fat Bear Week marks the yearly preparation for the bears’ October and November hibernation period.

Bears hibernate to conserve energy and because food sources are scarce in the winter.

During summer and early fall, the bears need to consume a lot of food - like sockeye salmon - to help them build up fat reserves for energy needed during hibernation. Bears may consume upwards of 200,000 calories each day when they’re stocking up.

Right now, the bears are at their peak weights. Scientists make educated estimates how much they weigh because they don’t want to disturb the animals.

Adult females are typically smaller than males by as much as 50 percent.

Approximately 2,200 brown bears live in Katmai, which is also home to moose, wolves, and bald eagles.

How did Fat Bear Week start?

Fat Bear Week started in 2014 thanks to Mike Fitz, a former ranger at the 4-million acre park.

Fitz had been looking for a way to highlight the immense changes a bear goes through after seeing two images of the same bear in June and September that were startlingly different.

He and rangers held a one-day event, with votes cast on Facebook.

The first full-bodied Fat Bear Week was held October 7-13 of the next year, with its popularity growing since then.

What happened last year?

Last year, Chunk bested a veteran bear, known as “856”, following a narrow loss to 128 Grazer - the first mother bear to clinch the title - in 2024.

Chunk’s loss was likely swayed by history with 128 Grazer’s cub.

Chunk attacked the cub after the young bear slipped over the waterfall and floated into his fishing spot. Grazer fought Chunk but the cub ultimately died.

How can you vote this year?

Votes are cast on fatbearweek.org.

If you want a taste of the voting right now, there are several sample polls already posted to the website.

Otherwise, set a reminder for next week!