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Fat Bear Week: Celebrating Chunky Bears in Alaska

Bears love to eat. In Alaska, they eat lots of fish. This helps them get big and fat. Fat Bear Week is a fun event about these bears. It happens every year in Katmai National Park. People vote for the chubbiest bear. The bears get fat to sleep through winter. This event started small but grew big. Now, millions watch online. You can see bears on live cams.

They catch salmon at Brooks River. Fat Bear Week shows how nature works. It teaches about wildlife. Bears need healthy rivers for food. This contest makes learning fun. Join in and pick your favorite bear. It’s like a game for everyone. Fat Bear Week 2025 is happening now. Check it out!

What Is Fat Bear Week?

Fat Bear Week is a yearly contest. It celebrates brown bears in Alaska. These bears live in Katmai National Park. They eat salmon to gain weight. This weight helps them survive winter. During hibernation, bears don’t eat. They lose much of their body fat. So, getting fat is key.

The event is like a sports tournament. Bears compete in brackets. People vote online for the fattest one. The winner gets a crown as the chubbiest bear. It’s run by Explore.org and park rangers. They use live cameras to show the bears.

Why do we care? Fat Bear Week highlights nature’s balance. Healthy salmon means healthy bears. It’s fun but teaches lessons. For example, bears can eat 90 pounds of food a day. That’s like 180 burgers! Kids love watching. Adults learn about conservation. Fat Bear Week brings people together. It shows bears as stars.

The rules are simple. Bears must be seen on cams in summer and fall. Voters look at before and after photos. They pick who looks the roundest. No real prizes for bears. But humans enjoy the show.

The History of Fat Bear Week

Fat Bear Week started in 2014. A park ranger named Mike Fitz had an idea. He saw people watching bear cams online. They loved seeing bears get chubby. So, he made Fat Bear Tuesday. It was just one day to vote for the fattest bear.

In 2015, it grew to a full week. More bears joined the fun. People voted daily. The event got bigger each year. By 2021, they added Fat Bear Junior. This is for young cubs. The junior winner can enter the main contest.

Over time, funny things happened. In 2022, someone tried to cheat with fake votes. Park officials fixed it. Bear 747 won fairly. In 2024, cams caught a bear fight. It delayed the start a bit. But the show went on.

Fat Bear Week has champions like Otis. He won four times: 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2021. Beadnose won in 2015 and 2018. These stories make the event exciting. It began as a small idea. Now, it’s a global hit. Millions vote each year. It spreads love for Alaskan wildlife.

Fat Bear Week 2025 Schedule and Highlights

Fat Bear Week 2025 kicked off in September. Voting runs from September 23 to 30. You can vote from noon to 9 p.m. Eastern Time. No voting on weekends. That’s September 27 and 28.

The bracket has 12 bears. They face off in pairs. Winners move up. Fat Bear Junior happened first. 128’s yearling won it. Now, it’s in the main contest.

Highlights so far? Bear 128 Grazer beat others. She’s a past champ. Bear 856 also won his match. They might face each other next. The finals are on September 30.

Events include live chats. Rangers talk about bears on September 25. They share facts about salmon runs. Watch for surprises. Bears can gain hundreds of pounds. One bear ate over 40 salmon in a day!

This year’s theme? Celebrate nature’s bounty. Strong salmon runs mean fatter bears. It’s a good sign for the park. Join the fun before it ends.

Meet the Bears: Fat Bear Week Finalists and Champions

Bears have numbers and nicknames. Like players on a team. In Fat Bear Week, we meet them all. For 2025, finalists include 128 Grazer. She’s a mom bear. Strong and smart. She won in 2023 and 2024.

Bear 32 Chunk is big. He dominates fishing spots. Bear 747 is huge. He won in 2020 and 2022. Bear 901 is a female. She’s clever at catching fish.

Past champions shine too. Otis, or 480, is a legend. He fishes with patience. Won four times. Holly, 435, won in 2019. She raised cubs while getting fat.

Each bear has a story. Grazer protects her cubs fiercely. In 2024, she fought off attackers. These tales add drama to Fat Bear Week competition.

Young bears join too. Like 909’s yearlings from past juniors. They learn from adults. Watching them grow is fun. Check bear bios on Explore.org. Learn their habits.

How Bears Get Fat: The Salmon Run and Hibernation Preparation

Bears need fat for winter. They sleep for months. No food or water. Fat keeps them alive. They lose up to one-third of their weight.

How do they bulk up? Salmon run helps. In summer, salmon swim up rivers. Bears catch them at Brooks Falls. One bear can eat 30 salmon a day. That’s millions of calories!

Grizzly bear weight gain is fast. From skinny in spring to round in fall. Moms need extra for cubs. Old bears compete for best spots.

Preparation starts in June. Salmon arrive. Bears feast until October. Then, they find dens. Dig holes in hills. Sleep till spring.

Why is it important? Fat means survival. Thin bears might not wake up. Fat Bear Week shows this cycle. It teaches about bear hibernation preparation.

How to Watch Fat Bear Week Live Stream and Vote

Want to see Fat Bear Week live? Easy! Go to Explore.org. They have bear cams. Watch bears at Brooks River. Cams run 24/7.

For voting, visit the Fat Bear Week page. See matchups. Click your favorite bear’s photo. Enter email. One vote per day per email.

Use the bracket. Download it. Fill in winners. Share on social media with #FatBearWeek.

Live streams show action. See bears splash for fish. Hear rangers chat. It’s free and fun.

Tips: Vote during open hours. Check results after. Campaign for your bear. Keep comments nice.

Fat Bear Week voting is open to all. Kids can join with their parents. It’s a family event.

Why Fat Bear Week Matters: Conservation Awareness Campaign

Fat Bear Week is more than fun. It’s a conservation awareness campaign. It shows why parks matter. Katmai has over 2,000 brown bears. Healthy rivers feed them.

The event teaches about threats. Pollution hurts salmon. Climate change affects rivers. Protecting land helps bears.

Park rangers at Katmai National Park share facts. They say intact ecosystems make fat bears. This means clean water and wild spaces.

By watching, people learn. They support parks. Donate or visit safely. Fat Bear Week builds love for nature.

It’s an Alaskan wildlife event. Shows grizzlies in their home. Promotes positive views of bears. Not scary, but amazing.

In short, it raises awareness. Helps save bears for future kids.

Bears teach us about balance. Fat Bear Week wraps this in joy. Vote, watch, learn. Share with friends. Help protect these chubby champs. What’s your favorite part of Fat Bear Week? Tell us below!