September 22, 2025 / 8:28 PM EDT
/ CBS News
The bracket for Fat Bear Week 2025 has been revealed, and 12 bears at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska are looking for votes from all over the world — but only one will be crowned the champion of the fat bears.
For more than a decade, the Fat Bear Week contest has been highlighting some of the largest brown bears on the planet living along Brooks River inside the national park as they prepare for hibernation. The annual vote for fattest bear of the year begins Tuesday, Sept. 23, and will continue through Sept. 30. People can vote online between 12 and 9 p.m. ET each day.
Bear lovers can also watch the fattened animals in their natural habitats in a series of livestreams on Explore.org, a multimedia organization that partners with the National Park Service to host the bear competition.
What is Fat Bear Week?
Fat Bear Week began in 2014 as a one-day event, Sarah Bruce, a park ranger at Katmai National Park and Preserve, told CBS News.
“It’s a really great way to kind of showcase these bears that we have in southwest Alaska,” Bruce said. “It’s very difficult to get to, so the cameras and Fat Bear Week make this park more accessible for folks who are unable to visit.”
It was started by Explore.org resident naturalist and former park ranger Mike Fitz, who saw the size difference in the park’s bears from late June to July — when they are most active along the river — compared to later in September.
How fat do the bears get?
Scientists have estimated that the bears can pack on as much as 700 pounds as they get ready to hibernate for the winter, Bruce said. That means the bears can end up weighing more than 1,400 pounds.
“They get super fat, and it’s really important to get fat. A fat bear is a healthy bear,” she explained. “So they’re eating about a year’s worth of food within the span of five to six months. When they go into hibernation, they’re not eating anymore, so they survive on their fat stores.”
And what does the winner of Fat Bear Week get?
“Their prize is winning and surviving another winter season, which is the most difficult season for these bears,” Bruce said.
Meet the 2025 Fat Bear Week contenders
Fat Bear Week contenders were announced during a livestream on Monday without issue, after last year’s bracket reveal was postponed following a skirmish between two Alaskan grizzlies that led to the death of one of the animals.
While around 80 bears frequent the Brooks River during their active season, 12 bears are chosen for Fat Bear Week because of certain criteria, including whether there are before and after photographs of the bears, park ranger and photographer Ashleigh Monaco said Monday.
Fitz said the competition is subjective and voters can place their vote for their favorite bear.
These are the bears vying to be this year’s champion:
128 Jr.
Fat Bear Jr. winner 128 Jr., or “Biggie,” is the offspring of 128. The dark fur bear is about 1 1/2 years old. She had a sibling who was unable to survive last summer, according to Monaco.
“While it is tragic that that cub didn’t survive, it just goes to show 128’s strength and resiliency in overcoming the challenges of living on the Brooks River herself,” Monaco said.
609
Going against 128 Jr. in the bracket’s first quadrant is 5-year-old 609, the daughter of 909 and the champion of Fat Bear Jr. 2022. She has noticeably large round ears and a long nose.
602
Either 128 Jr. or 609 will face off against 602, a newbie to the competition.
He loves lounging and taking long naps by the river, Monaco said, and he dominated the category of size and strength this summer. Nicknamed “Flow-tato,” 602 is often spotted doing “a little stomping dance,” possibly a response to high adrenaline or excitement.
503
In the bracket’s second quadrant is 503. The 12-year-old is resourceful, playful and tolerant, allowing the younger bears to sometimes take his leftovers.
901
This 7-year-old bear has “never been fatter,” said Naomi Boak, a media ranger at Katmai. In 2023, 901 had three cubs, but none of them survived.
“But she’s back, and she’s big,” Boak said, adding that cubs could be in her future next season.
32 Chunk
Either 503 or 901 will have to face 32 Chunk, the runner-up of last year’s Fat Bear Week. He was among the most dominant bears last year, but this year he is healing from a broken jaw, possibly from an altercation with another male over a female, according to Boak.
“That’s a typical injury, and it’s not an easy injury to live with, but he has powered through his injury,” Boak said. “He is fishing and he is getting fatter than ever.”
26
In the third quadrant is 26, a mother bear with twins “with plenty of energy and spunk,” said photographer Christine Loberg.
909
This is the daughter of the 2018 Fat Bear Week champion, 409 Beadnose. 909 loves catching fish by the waterfall, simply catching them with her mouth.
128
The mother of this year’s Fat Bear Jr. champion is approximately 20 years old. Also known as Grazer, she stands out with her blond fur.
99
Bear 99 is identifiable by his chocolate milk-color coat, according to Bruce. While he’s still quite young, he has got enough fish this year to land him in the fat bear bracket.
856
The next bear in the fourth quadrant is 856, who Bruce called “the old man of the river.” He’s one of the oldest bears on the Brooks River.
910
The last 2025 Fat Bear Week contender is 910. She’s described as a rectangle and a cruise ship because of how large she is.
Kiki Intarasuwan is a news editor for CBS News & Stations.
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