Just as college basketball has its frenzied March Madness, Alaska proudly presents its own thrilling spectacle: Fat Bear Week!
The latest installment of this wildly popular annual contest, which celebrates the crucial feeding season at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska, kicked off with the release of its much-anticipated bracket on Monday, followed by public voting commencing on Tuesday afternoon.
Conceived in 2014 as a modest, single-day event, Fat Bear Week initially aimed to highlight the park’s magnificent bears and underscore the importance of a thriving habitat for their survival. Fast forward eleven years, and it has exploded into a marquee attraction, drawing over a million votes annually for the past three years.
Enthusiastic viewers worldwide can tune in to watch a live stream of brown bears feasting at Brooks Falls, a vibrant salmon run within the park, as they bulk up for their long winter hibernation. Participants then use a sports-inspired bracket to cast their votes for the bear they believe has achieved peak chubbiness, culminating in the crowning of a champion. This year also saw a ‘Fat Bear Week Junior’ where younger bears competed, with its winner, an offspring of two-time champion Grazer, earning a coveted spot in the main competition alongside the older, more experienced contestants.
It’s a competition open to all peninsular grizzlies, both male and female, of which there are approximately 2,200 in the park, provided they’ve reached a commendable level of girth. An adult male Alaska brown bear can swell to over 1,200 pounds, though individual weights for the contestants are kept under wraps. Throughout the summer, these bears pile on hundreds of pounds, with some younger ones even doubling their body weight by devouring countless salmon.
Voting for the main competition will run until September 30th. Members of the public can cast their votes daily between noon and 9 p.m. Eastern time, eagerly awaiting the moment when the biggest, roundest, most gloriously jiggly bear is finally crowned champion.
Mike Fitz, a former park ranger and now a naturalist with the organization that co-hosts Fat Bear Week, revealed that the initial spark for the event came from a park follower on social media. They shared a striking side-by-side comparison of a bear’s impressive weight gain over a single summer. Back then, it was simply known as ‘Fat Bear Tuesday.’
Last year, the competition’s bracket release was notably delayed following a serious altercation between two grizzlies, captured live on camera, which tragically resulted in one bear’s death. This somber event served as a stark reminder that despite the charming fun of Fat Bear Week, these are wild animals, and securing enough food is absolutely vital for their survival.
Naomi Boak, a communications specialist for the Katmai Conservancy and a longtime producer for the event, describes watching the annual bear activity as utterly addictive. She likens it to a captivating soap opera, with each bear playing a distinct role in the ongoing drama of the Alaskan wilderness.
In 2019, Ms. Boak, a New York City native, found herself utterly captivated by the sight of these enormous, furry eating machines on her computer screen. Her fascination led her to take a job working directly in the park. She traded her Harlem apartment for Alaska, where she dedicated four seasons to working with the bears.
“It’s a wonderful chance to connect with nature, even if you’re in the middle of a city like the Bronx,” Ms. Boak, now 73 and residing in New Bedford, Massachusetts, commented on the experience of watching the bears online. Sadly, her personal favorite, 89 Backpack, didn’t make the cut for this year’s competition.
The event’s organizing team begins the selection process early, carefully deliberating over potential contestants. They consider various qualities such as age, size, and sex, striving for a diverse and engaging lineup, according to Mr. Fitz. This thoughtful approach ensures the competition remains compelling.
“We truly hope the bracket allows us to highlight the unique success stories of each bear,” Ms. Boak explained. “Our ultimate goal is to see fat bears. Because by the end of the season, that’s their key to surviving hibernation.”
Simply put: A fat bear is a healthy bear.
One of the logistical challenges of the event, Ms. Boak noted, is gathering the necessary imagery. Each bracket contestant requires two photos: one captured at the height of the feeding season, when bears are at their most rotund, and another from before their summer feasting spree. “You’re constantly out there, trying to get those perfect shots,” she shared.
Just like any compelling drama, Fat Bear Week thrives on its narrative arcs.
“I truly believe Chunk deserves the win,” Mr. Fitz stated, referring to last year’s runner-up, who is once again a contender. Chunk arrived at the river in June with a broken jaw, a significant injury that could have easily ended his season, or worse. Yet, Chunk bravely overcame the pain, demonstrating remarkable “adaptability,” Mr. Fitz recounted. “Chunk certainly displayed incredible resilience in his quest to get fat this year,” he added.
However, Mr. Fitz remained cautious about underestimating any of the bears’ chances. “The week consistently delivers a host of surprises, and that unpredictability is precisely what makes it so much fun,” he concluded.