September 30, 2025 / 9:09 PM EDT
/ CBS News
Despite a broken jaw, 32 Chunk has eaten his way to the top of the Fat Bear Week 2025 bracket.
Chunk was finally named the winner of Fat Bear Week after being awarded as the runner-up for the past two years in the contest between select bears at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska. The 2025 champion received 96,350 votes, 32,625 more than the runner-up, 856, park officials and Explore.org announced Tuesday.
“For the first time ever, 32 ‘Chunk’ takes home the gold- or should we say red (because of all the salmon he ate),” Katmai National Park & Preserve said on social media.
Fat Bear Week is held every year to celebrate the bears of Brooks River as they finish their bulk before they go into hibernation for the winter. As one of the largest bears that resides along the river, Chunk was estimated to be more than 1,200 pounds, according to park officials.
He has used his size and confidence to his advantage. But when he returned to the river in June with a broken jaw — possibly from a fight with another male bear during mating season — park rangers said they were concerned whether he could maintain his dominance.
However, Chunk quickly adapted and learned how to eat salmon without the full use of his mandible, park officials said.
“Chunk used his determination and adaptability to persevere through injury,” the park said in his profile. “He will need that ability indefinitely. His broken jaw is a permanent disability that will never return to normal.”
This year’s king of the fat bears has not only won the hearts of voters, but also the likelihood of surviving another winter season.
Kiki Intarasuwan is a news editor for CBS News & Stations.
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