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Editor’s note: Due to a slow web editor, today’s installment was posted after Day 1 results were released. Here is the line up nevertheless. Tune in Wednesday morning for the Day 2 breakdown. 

It’s the most fattastic time of the year: Fat Bear Week! Welcome to Day 1. Let’s get the ball rolling! 

Match 1: 128jr “Biggie” vs 609 “Bean”

Two chubby junior champs go digitally head-to-head in the first match of Fat Bear Week! 128jr “Biggie” won this year’s Fat Bear Week Jr. contest, and 609 “Bean” is a former Fat Bear Week Jr. winner from 2022. 609 Bean is newly emancipated this summer, after spending not two, not three, but four summers under the care of her mother or auntie. Her upbringing alone is a unique story, but 609 in her subadulthood is here to show us that she is, in fact, no longer a Bean-ie baby. She caught the first fish on the lip this season (like her mother before her and her mother before her) awll by hershelf and she appears to be an expert snorkeler to boot. She was even seen being courted by and then mating with 151 Walker, a well-established beefcake of a bear. She may be freshly independent, but she’s massively mastering the bear necessities. 

Up against 609 is the notorious B.I.G.gie. 128jr Biggie shares a life experience with 609; they both lost a sibling in their first year as cubs. Biggie’s sibling (“Smalls”) tragically died on camera last summer, days after being attacked by a boar. Ugh, it was a whole family saga and it put members of the bear cam community (me) into a legit depression. But Biggie’s survival is a legend in the making, and the Biggie we see today is living large and in charge, at least as much as she can as a yearling. She may be little, but she’s gangsta. And if you don’t know, now you know. ?

Match 2: 503 “The Prince of Katmai” vs 901

These are not unbiased updates. It is pawsitively unfair that they stacked my boi 503 against the buxom babe that is 901. 901 is so fat she looks like an AI generated fat bear. Technology could literally not draw her fatter. A child could make a ball out of playdough and call it her portrait. When seated, there is approximately no space between her stomach and the ground. She spends all the time at the beach, like an actual Bearbie grrl. (Why yes that’s my bear cam username). A Nice Guy™ like 503 probably doesn’t stand a chance, so this might be my only opportunity this week to campaign for him. 

503: *Looks at clock, takes a breath* Okay, here’s the CliffsNotes. Abandoned as a cub, 503 was adopted by 435 Holly (“the Queen”), who raised her as one of her own. Because he was just a cub but given a number like a subadult, people call him Cubadult. Not me. I call him by his other name, The Prince of Katmai. Not just because he was adopted into royalty, but because of his charm, his benevolence. He got 32 Chunk (a literal scarface) to play. He displaced 856 (top bear for decades; speculated to be his dad) without violence. Even when attacked by others he pushes them back, and then he walks away. Most boars achieve dominance through brute strength and aggression, but The Prince is, by and large, far and wide – gentle. He has grown into his gigantic genes and in a matter of years I predict he will not only be a Fat Bear Week winner amongst the humans, but the King of Katmai amongst the bears.

May the fattest bear win. Voting is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. AKST at www.fatbearweek.org!

Ladies and Gentlebears, welcome to Fat Bear Week 2025! 

This annual, week-long competition from Katmai National Park is a celebration of a summer’s worth of hard work, a hat tip to a healthy ecosystem and a collection of survival stories. The bears have been busy feasting on salmon and stocking up on nutrients for their winter hibernation, and they’ve got the fall bods to prove it. 

What started as a one-day event in 2014 conjuring the attention of a few thousand nature conservancy social media followers has grown into a week-long event boasting 1.2 million votes last year. There are fat bear fans in every part of the country, fat bear curriculums in classrooms, fat bear campaign posters, fat bear Spotify playlists and, of course, fat bear bets on who will be crowned the champion. 

Similar to March Madness, Fat Bear Week is a bracket-style, single elimination tournament. New to the scene? I’m here to break it down for you: 

Who’s in the bracket? 

Not all the bears at Katmai are contenders. Rangers refill the roster largely based on the availability of spring and fall comparison photos, the bear being fat, and other unknown-to-us but reasonable reasons. The much-anticipated 2025 bracket was released bear-by-bear Monday live and on Youtube. You can find the complete list of all twelve competitors, before-and-after photos as well as short biographies at FatBearWeek.org. 

How does it work / How do I vote?

Fat Bear Week is Tuesday, Sept. 23 through Tuesday, Sept. 30. Each day, one or two matches will be posted on FatBearWeek.org. Between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. AKST, you may vote for one bear in each match. The winner of each match is announced that evening and advances to the next round.

Which fat bear do I vote for?

The voting rubric is different for different people. Some folks believe you should only vote for the physically, empirically, literally, fattest bear. Some believe it’s a matter of weight gain. That is, you should determine which bear was most successful in becoming a fat bear between spring and fall. Others believe that fatness is a symbol of overall survival and that one should vote on a fat bear’s skills, success and story arc. Who here is giving off main character vibes? Vote for them! 

Personally, I love Fat Bear Week for the poetry: the 230 Ben dancer in us. The 128 Grazer fierce mama in us. I love Fat Bear Week for the stories: 32 Chunk eating with a broken jaw; 503, the adoptee, who befriends all. Above all, I love Fat Bear Week for the kinship between bears, and between us and the bears. 

Whether you’re a Fat Bear Week superfan or a newcomer to the scene, I hope you find a bear to throw your weight behind. We’re zooming in on a robust ecosystem that nourishes larger-than-life bears. Surviving was yesterday; today we’re thriving. Let’s celebrate!

Happy Fat Bear Tuesday and welcome to the final massive match of the bracket. By 5 p.m. AKDT today we will have a 2022 Fat Bear Champion — but there can only be one.

Monday began looking like a normal day in the neighborhood but it turned out to be ripe time for an uprising. Despite 128 Grazer’s size, strength, veteran status on the bracket, and triple the ability to gain weight (a mother + two yearlings), she could not compete against young 901 who won by nearly 12,000 votes. 901 is a newcomer and an enthusiastic eater, and her fans wasted no time celebrating her circumference.

The final match: 747 vs 901

747 is undoubtedly, categorically, indefatigably fat. Lidar scans estimate his weight to be around 1,400 pounds, making him one of the largest brown bears in the world. At Brooks River, and certainly on this bracket, you literally cannot find a fatter bear. The most traditional interpretation of Fat Bear Week advocates a judging rubric based on pure size, and when you apply it here, 747 is the most obvious, chunkiest choice.

But many argue that it’s Fat Bear Week, not Fattest Bear Week; therefore any fat bear should be allowed to run for champion. We should then choose a winner based on other, more equal opportunity characteristics, like seasonal weight gain, survival stories, before/after photos, and sometimes just how much people like the bear, to be honest. History would support this philosophy, especially considering 747 is never not a giant but has only won Fat Bear Week once, in 2020.

Enter 901: literally a no-name (she’s so new to us as a main character that the internet community has not yet agreed on a nickname), who came into this bracket ready to rumble. She shook things up beginning with her first match, defeating 909′s Yearling (Bean), who is well-admired and a Junior bracket award-winning baby bear. 901 went on to then upset “The King” (480 Otis), largely because many voters — including full-fat Otis fans — felt that he had had his time in the winner’s circle (2014, 2016, 2017, 2020) and that 901′s dimensions deserved a day at the races, too.

While the first two rounds might not feel momentous, yesterday’s semifinal proved that voters are ready for fresh fat leadership and they’re not afraid to shake things up. 901 is indeed a very curvy creature. But, is she what fat bear champions are made of?

747 is the traditional choice. If he wins, the purists will collectively sigh in relief and the gargantuan game will remain relatively unchanged.

But if 901 takes the crown, she will be The People’s Bear, the face of a grassroots movement that upsized the siziest bear. The corner of the bracket with less history and less media attention. A bear who stands for campaign fatness reform! 901 is young and rotund, and she canvassed the edges — the beach, mostly — an area not nearly as rich as Brooks Falls. She is up against 747, who leads the majority of a river as soon as he walks into it.

901 was and still is the smaller underbear in the match. 747 might ride his wide privilege to the win, but what if the future is female? One bear represents tradition, one bear represents change. No matter who is voted the heavyweight champion of our hearts today, we all take prize in a long-term lesson: You don’t have to be the biggest bear to be a force to be reckoned with.

Vote today from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. AKDT at fatbearweek.org!

This story originally appeared in the Anchorage Daily News and is republished here with permission.

Welcome back, well-rounded readers! For those just joining us, we are sizing up the biggest bears of Katmai National Park, and we’re well on our way to declaring one fat winner.

Let’s recap the weekend matches:

On Saturday, Grazer grazed the top of Round 7, narrowly swiping a win from Walker. Until yesterday (oh, we’ll get there) it was the closest match of the bracket. We also witnessed an upset / overthrow in Round 8, as newcomer and young underbear 901 stole King Otis’s chance at the crown. Something tells me the zen master was never into monarchy anyway. 128 Grazer and 901 face off today.

But Sunday! Holy fatness! 435 Holly and 747 Bear Force One were fat neck and neck all day long. It was a true claw-biter. It was any bear’s game, with 747 showing early leads and Holly eventually closing the gap. In the end, Holly held it down and more than 39,000 fans rejoiced in her win. But then! Katmai National Park reported that someone stuffed the ballot box and, after eliminating the spam votes, declared 747 the victor.

Even I, the mom who rewarded (which is totally absolutely definitely different than a bribe) her teenager with screen time after he voted for 435 Holly, could not believe that voter fraud (gasp) had sullied our first semifinal.

So many surprises and it ain’t over yet. Today we head into the second semifinal, featuring two chunky choices who have never been champions. Let’s go!

Match 19: 128 Grazer vs 901

These fish aren’t gonna eat themselves, and 128 Grazer is out here getting it DONE. She was raised with a strong work ethic and she hasn’t taken a single sick day in her life. When Grazer is on her grind, she does not simply walk into a river, she marches.

Yet, Grazer is not a one-dimensional fierce mama bear. As discussed Saturday, she learned when to be a fighter and when to be a lover — specifically, to herself. And, it should be noted that most female bears are consistent when it comes to raising their cubs: emancipating them at 2.5 or perhaps 3.5 years. But, for whatever reason, Grazer broke her own tradition to keep her yearlings an extra summer. She makes her own rules — which, true to her rugged reputation, tracks.

With two extra mouths to feed, we should be triple impressed with Grazer’s gains. 128 is humungous, and she has the haunches, the hustle and the heart to prove it.

But I gotta hand it to Gen Z 901 (just 6 years old), who’s over here making RIP the monarchy TikToks after converting King Otis fans to her free-living fatness. While Grazer is off adulting, 901 has her fur on do not disturb and is … she … yes she is, taking a nap in the middle of a high traffic path. This girl takes self care to a whole other level, and she is not afraid to lavish. She is the definition of just vibing. She is Net-fish & Chill-ing. And, of note: she 10/10 put on the plump. This is a bear who understood the assignment.

901 is the wild card of this bracket, and she absolutely came to party. While 128 Grazer has a strong, independent fan club, today is Monday — a school day — and the student voting bloc has been known to swing a decision. Are we in 128′s good Grazes or are we living the 901 high life with Little Miss Eat, Sleep, and Procreate?

Either way, we’re voting today on which fresh fat bear takes on 747 in the finals tomorrow, and let’s get a round of a-PAWS for that. Vote 8 a.m.-5 p.m. AKDT at fatbearweek.org!

My, oh my, did the votes make a splash yesterday: young 164 Bucky could not hack his way into a win against mega mom 435 Holly, and 747 continued to bulldoze the big but not biggest bear (sorry 32 Chunk) like the behemoth he is.

These quarterfinals are not for the faint of fur! Entering the bracket today is none other than the mightiest mama bear 128 Grazer, and defending Fat Bear Week Champion, King Otis.

Round 7: 151 Walker vs. 128 Grazer

Heard you’re into bad girls so may I introduce you to: 128 Grazer. This bear does not bury the lead. What you see is what you get and things get grazy real quick if you so much as even wonder about thinking about writing about looking at her cubs. (looks side to side) (laughs nervously)

Grazer’s got a razor sharp heart and she wears it on her claws. Some bears avoid prime locations with their offspring, but Grazer doesn’t believe smaller bears need to live smaller lives. She asserts, she protects, she fights the power. She is a warrior, like her mother before her.

To be a mother against the world is an expensive way to live. You spend all your energy looking over your shoulder, charging, brawling, getting injured. There is little left for rest or recovery. With her first litter Grazer was so formidable she forgot to take time to eat. By mid-summer, she was still nearly as thin as spring. In this way, anxiety can attack a creature from the inside. Grazer was an astounding protector of her offspring, but who would protect Grazer?

We all have survival instincts. Sometimes something that kept us safe at one point in our lives may no longer serve us later, and in fact, may harm us. Grazer had to learn which survival instincts were worth keeping, and which ones needed adaptation. One step at a time, one day at a time, Grazer moved closer to the Falls. Over time she grew comfortable enough to gaze away from the perimeter and cast it into the water, fishing. Where she used to only see threats, she could eventually find rewards.

Sure, 151 Walker was born with a brag-worthy booty, but Grazer had to learn to put her girth on first before assisting others. It was a fat her family needed. Grazer dared to self-care, maybe the bravest fight she’s started.

Round 8: 901 vs. 480 Otis

901 showed some rolls and the crowds went wild. Like everything she does, she didn’t just win by a little. It’s clear that her haunches have heft. But can she really take on … 480 Otis? The Bear. The Myth. The Legend.

Otis is one of the oldest bears at Katmai National Park and Preserve; they say that today and they said that on the day he was born. They call him Zenmaster Otis, the buddha bear of Brooks River. They call him the King. They say he doesn’t fish; the fish come to him (#jedimindfish). When he growls, it rains. When he eats, it shines. Every time he blinks, somewhere a broken heart heals. They say he taught the pirate how to fish, the bear with no name who survived by stealing.

I heard he once swallowed a waterfall whole. I heard he picked a dozen forget-me-nots and gave them to your mother.

Otis holds more Fat Bear Week titles (2014, 2016, 2017, 2021) than any other bear at Katmai and it’s not because of his size or strength or killer considerable dad bod. He is in a fat league of his own. There could be a hundred bodacious bears in the river and folks would only have eyes for Otis. #TeamOtis spans the globe. For many bear cam aficionados, he is (as a fellow fat bear enthusiast put it) The Gateway Bear. Even me, shameless campaigner for a 2022 Holly title: I am, right now, drinking a cup of coffee from a mug with a drawing of Otis on it.

Will colossal King Otis keep his crown or will he be overthrown by giant Gen Z 901? You decide!

Voting is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. ADST at fatbearweek.org!

Well it’s a beautiful day in Fat Bear America. Let’s play some fat bracket!

Yesterday we watched 151 Walker walk across the winner’s line, and he was certainly swaying what his mama gave him. Beach babe 901 took out actual babe 909 Yearling and it was very matter-of-fact; also, I’m pretty sure I saw her yawn as it happened.

Two new heavyweights enter the bracket today, and they’re two of the biggest living legends of Brooks River.

Match 5: 164 Bucky vs 435 Holly

164 Bucky is a smooth schmoozer but in all honesty, a fake-it-till-you-make-it kind of bear has no business in this match. Sure he’s got that charming, Fresh Prince of Bel Air vibe, but my lady 435 Holly here is an actual queen.

Not only is she one of the oldest bears at Katmai and a former Fat Bear Champion (2019), she is one of the most prolific and experienced mothers at Brooks River. She has given birth to five litters now, and seven bears call her Mom. In 2009, however, she had a one-cub litter and that cub was killed in front of her by an adult male bear.

The natural world is full of beauty, and it is also dangerous, selfish and cruel. Bringing a child into a place you could lose them is one of the scariest and bravest things a mother can do.

In Holly’s entire reproductive history she follows the same pattern, which is that she has another litter almost immediately after she emancipates her cub(s). Except in 2009, when her cub was killed. After that incident, Holly did not have a cub in 2010, or even in 2011, 2012, or 2013. I assume it is seen as a random blip in Holly’s otherwise liberal reproductive rhythm. There is no scientific reason for Holly to have taken such a substantial (for her) break from mothering.

Adoptions in the bear species are extraordinarily rare, and there has never been a documented case of it before or since at Brooks River. Bears are sort of rugged cowboy-like animals, and they mostly work alone. There’s a theory that a bear might, just possibly, potentially, probably not, but OK maybe, adopt another bear’s cub if they were extended family, since the survival of, say, a nephew, might still pass on their genes. But there is no known genetic kinship between 435 Holly and 503 Cubadult. There is no scientific reason for their blended family to exist.

So, yes, Holly is fat. She emancipated her cub (335 Jolly) earlier this spring, and with no kids in the house she has been single and thriving. Instead of energy being used around the clock to raise offspring, protect them, and share all her food with them, she is relishing every bite and every minute — and it shows. But Holly is more than a bear who is heavy; she is a bear who knows heavy. She has witnessed the traumatic loss of her child, and she sat with that loss for five years. Anyone who knows grief knows you don’t need a tree to feel stuck somewhere for hours. Anyone who knows grief knows what it’s like to cry someone’s name and never have them return. Why did 435 Holly adopt 503 Cubadult? Everyone asks; no one knows. They were not related. And yet, they could relate.

Match 6: 747 Bear Force One vs 32 Chunk

Thank goodness everyone did the right thing and voted for 747 Bear Force One over 856 (no Nickname because he’s not our friend). We have already established that 747 is an actual jumbo jet shaped like a bear and so there is not a lot of wobble room for a hunk like Chunk to compete if we’re literally weighing our options.

But 32 Chunk is a good example of how you can’t judge a bear by its cover. While Chunk doesn’t have any mode of transportation nicknames, he is best known for basically being born chonky. Being blessed with a big backside, and front side, and well, really, every side, Chunk is one of the largest, strongest, and most dominant bears at Brooks River. And yet, he’s not fully committed to the role. Unlike a boss bear, Chunk is sometimes seen scavenging leftover salmon. And also unlike a boss bear, Chunk sometimes plays with other bears.

He has a lot of scars but he doesn’t talk about them. The bear cams do not show Chunk running an underwater fight club but also, they do not not show it either. Chunk has a very anti-establishment personality and he is also at the top of the echelon. Is there more to life than how high up you rank? Why are some bears born fat and some bears have to work at it? Who is he, really? These are not just questions we can ask, but probably questions Chunk asks himself. Bear cam viewer and Katmai National Park volunteer “Stacey” once wrote about Chunk’s “perpetual worried look.” Perhaps it’s his narrow eyes and his strong brow bone. Or, perhaps it’s just the existential crisis of a big bear trying to be in touch with his beast side and his sweet side.

Does the depth of 32 Chunk’s complexity outweigh 747′s basic bulk? You decide.

Voting is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. AKDT at fatbearweek.org.