Every October, the internet—nay, the world—pauses in its tracks to cast ballots and what might be the only election left that is fully aware that it’s a joke: Fat Bear Week.
It’s a single-elimination tournament where brown bears unknowingly compete in a weight contest as they pack on body mass by devouring crazy volumes of salmon in their preparation for the brutal winter ahead.
This year’s title went to a fan-favorite named Chunk—a 1,200-pound brown bear who triumphed despite a broken jaw and years of mere victories that would have ended in heartbreak if it had any idea it was in the middle of a competition.
Known officially as Bear 32, Chunk finally clinched the crown after finishing second in three previous contests. His formidable final round opponent, Bear 856, had already taken out two-time champ Grazer. But it was Chunk who emerged victorious with over 96,000 votes—more than enough to claim the throne in a contest that drew a record-shattering 1.6 million votes.
Honestly, at this rate, f**k it: Chunk 2028.
Fat Bear Week Crown Goes to Chunk, the Bear With a Broken Jaw
Fat Bear Week is held annually in Alaska’s Katmai National Park. It has become a viral celebration of bears, marking the onset of full hibernation prep mode. Twelve bears are followed via livestream as they fish for salmon in the Brooks River, as viewers get to watch them ballooning from kind of fat to morbidly obese couches in a matter of weeks.
Rangers post before-and-after photos of each contender from early to late summer, and viewers vote on who packed on the most impressive winter weight. Park officials estimate that a record 200,000 salmon surged up the Brooks River, giving even lower-tier bears easy access to fat-filled salmon.
The abundance of fish meant fewer fights over territory and even left plenty of room for human fishermen to cast lines alongside apex predators without being instantly mauled to death. This year’s vibes must’ve been immaculate, I guess.
Chunk wasn’t always the populist hero he is today. Just last year, he was cast as the villain after an infamous brawl near a waterfall that accidentally injured one of Grazer’s cubs. But a fat bear can’t be held down for too long, as the Fat Bear Week viewing public forgave Chunk and rocketed him to previously unforeseen heights of popularity that eventually made him this year’s champ.
Chunk managed to suck up upwards of 50,000 calories a day, and all with a broken jaw that likely resulted from a bear-on-bear fight. Chunk likes to scrap, and he won’t let any jaw injuries stand between him and being enshrined in the halls of eternity.
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