The most important bracket of the year has arrived.
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bracket → arrive → year
The annual competition at Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve kicks off Tuesday with 16 brown bears vying for the title of chonkiest champ.
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bears → kick → champ
This year's bracket features a defending champion, a few rising stars and some heavyweight opening-round matchups.
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bracket → feature → champion
Here's how it works: Two bears face off in a single-elimination tournament, and fans vote for the one they believe has done the best job packing on the pounds ahead of winter hibernation.
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they → work → hibernation
More than 1.7 million votes were cast during last year's competition, which saw Bear 32 — better known as "Chunk" — claim the title.
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Bear → cast → title
Now, the reigning champ is back for another shot at glory.
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champ → reign → glory
But he's got some serious competition.
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he → get → competition
Chunk
Chunk won last year's competition despite suffering a broken jaw in June 2025, likely during a fight with another bear.
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Chunk → win → bear
The injury left him with a distinctive scar and protruding canine tooth, but it apparently didn't slow down his appetite.
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it → leave → appetite
This summer, Chunk was largely absent from Brooks River during the salmon run before returning in September with a substantial belly.
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Chunk → return → belly
Park officials aren't sure where he spent most of his summer.
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he → spend → summer
But wherever he was, he wasn't skipping meals.
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he → skip → meals
And he's going to need every pound.
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he → go → pound
His title defense begins Wednesday against Bear 164, Bucky, one of the river's emerging heavyweights.
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defense → begin → heavyweights
The heavyweight showdown: Chunk vs. Bucky
Bucky has grown considerably in recent years, developing the size and confidence to challenge other dominant males for access to the best fishing spots.
He's also figured out a pretty clever way to keep himself fed.
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He → grow → himself
While other bears compete for the same prime real estate at Brooks Falls, Bucky has learned to position himself near the waterfall's deepest plunge pool, where he can catch salmon jumping through the air, rising from below or falling from above.
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he → compete → above
Male brown bears typically reach their physical prime between ages 12 and 20, so he could have several more years of growth ahead of him.
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he → reach → him
The rising star gets his shot at the defending champion Wednesday, Sept. 23.
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star → rise → champion
One of them will be going home early.
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One → go → them
They'll both still be in Alaska eating fish.
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They → eat → fish
The veteran: Walker
Bear 151, Walker, used to be a relatively easygoing guy who enjoyed playing with other bears.
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who → use → bears
As he's gotten older, though, he's become a little grumpier and a lot more competitive.
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he → get → ?
And the younger bears are giving him plenty of reasons to be grumpy.
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bears → give → reasons
Bucky and Bear 903, Gully, have been challenging Walker's position in the Brooks River hierarchy.
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Bucky → challenge → hierarchy
His size and experience have helped him maintain his standing, but the younger competition is catching up.
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competition → help → standing
Walker faces Gully in Wednesday's opening round, giving us another veteran-versus-youngster matchup right out of the gate.
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Walker → face → gate
The Cinderella story: Bear 610
Bear 610 might not be one of the biggest competitors in this year's field, but she's got a pretty compelling story.
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she → get → story
When she was first identified in 2015, park officials believed she had separated from her mother earlier than expected.
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she → identify → mother
She also had a significant healing wound above her hips, suggesting she'd survived an attack.
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she → have → attack
Now, more than a decade later, she's raising her first known litter of cubs.
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she → raise → cubs
Despite being a relatively small, first-time mother, 610 has successfully protected and cared for both cubs throughout the summer while building up her own fat reserves ahead of hibernation.
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610 → protect → hibernation
This is her first Fat Bear Week appearance, and she'll face Bear 89, Backpack, in Wednesday's opening round.
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she → face → round
The road to the championship
Of course, Fat Bear Week isn't just about which bear has the biggest belly.
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bear → have → belly
The competition celebrates the remarkable transformations these animals undergo as they prepare to survive months of winter hibernation without eating or drinking.
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they → celebrate → hibernation
The opening round takes place Sept. 22–23, followed by the quarterfinals Sept. 24–25, the Final Fat Four on Sept. 28 and the championship on Sept. 29.
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round → take → Sept.
You can view the complete bracket and cast your votes on the official Fat Bear Week website.
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You → view → website
The Aporia
