Fat Bear Week is an annual celebration held all around the United States. The celebration takes place from October 4 to October 10 every year. During this week, anyone can visit the official Fat Bear Week website to vote for their favorite bear. Each bear is bulking up for the winter, which is why they are so sizable. The competition is meant to celebrate the hibernation period, and the bears in Katmai National Park. This year’s Fat Bear Week has come to a close. The winner of the competition was Bear 128, Grazer. 

Fat Bear Week was originally known as Fat Bear Tuesday and was first founded by Mike Fitz in 2014, who used to be a park ranger at Katmai. He got the idea when he noticed how many people were interested in live streams of the bears feeding at rivers. Originally, visitors at Katmai were asked to give their opinions on several before and after photos featuring the park’s bears. They would vote for the fattest bear in a tournament. By 2015, the voting had gone digital, and the event was extended to the Fat Bear Week we know today.

In order to qualify for Fat Bear Week, bears in the Katmai National Park must be seen catching salmon at the Brooks River. A section of the river that is about a mile long with webcams is used to determine which bears may be eligible. These bears must be seen in both summer and fall. 

In 2021, Fat Bear Week added the Fat Bear Junior Bracket. This competition revolves around fat bear cubs, offering the cubs the opportunity to compete in the Fat Bear Week competition in later years. 

This year’s Fat Bear Week may already be over, but don’t miss the chance to vote for your favorite bear next year!