The results are in for the 2025 Fat Bear Week, and the champion is Bear 32, affectionately known as Chunk.
This annual competition, resembling a March Madness format, is organized by Katmai National Park and Preserve in collaboration with the nonprofit Katmai Conservancy and hosted through the online platform Explore.org.
Chunk, weighing approximately 1,200 pounds, won over the public this year with his remarkable determination. Despite having a broken jaw that is healing but could result in a long-term impairment, he was seen at the Brooks River fishing for salmon.
Chunk’s remarkable perseverance won him the hearts of voters this year.
As part of their natural behavior, brown bears aim to gain weight each autumn, adding as much as four pounds a day. This weight accumulation is crucial for survival during winter, when bears can lose a significant portion of their body fat.
This year’s participants benefitted from an abundant salmon run. Katmai National Park, home to one of the largest populations of brown bears, approximately 2,200, also boasts one of the healthiest sockeye salmon runs remaining in a world increasingly affected by climate change, even as record high temperatures threaten past populations.
Although Fat Bear Week has come to an end—avoiding a potential government shutdown—wildlife enthusiasts can still observe the bears via explore.org, which continues to stream live footage from the Brown Bear Cam.
