Every year, Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska hosts a unique event called Fat Bear Week to celebrate the plump and powerful brown bears as they gear up for their winter hibernation. The festivities for Fat Bear Week will officially kick off on October 2nd, allowing fans to vote online for their favorite large bears through tournament-style brackets.
Recently, the organizers of Fat Bear Week revealed the four cub contestants taking part in this week’s Fat Bear Jr. competition. These cubs will eventually face off against the colossal competitors in the adult bracket. The event is a way to honor the resilience of the 2,200 brown bears residing in Katmai National Park, which sprawls across the Alaska Peninsula from the state’s southwest corner towards the Aleutian Islands.
Bears at Katmai National Park are a popular attraction, especially during the salmon season when they frequent the Brooks River to feast on sockeye salmon. Devoted fans can watch these bears live on cameras at explore.org throughout the summer. Some of the junior contestants for Fat Bear Week include familiar faces, with past junior champions vying for a chance to win again, meeting the criteria for being considered a cub.
One of the heartwarming but tragic stories involves a spring cub of Grazer, the Fat Bear champion from last year. Sadly, one of Grazer’s siblings met a devastating end this summer after a fatal encounter with an adult male bear known as Chunk or Bear 32. Grazer valiantly attempted to protect the cub from harm, but unfortunately, it succumbed to its injuries.
Male brown bears at Katmai typically weigh between 600 to 900 pounds in mid-summer. As they prepare for hibernation by gorging on migrating salmon, some can exceed 1,000 pounds. Female bears are usually smaller, weighing about a third less than their male counterparts. The adult contestants for Fat Bear Week will be announced on September 30, with voting set to take place from October 2nd to 8th. It’s a festive and educational event that shines a spotlight on these incredible creatures and the challenges they face in the wild.
