Summer officially drew to a close over the weekend, leaving many of us who love spending time outdoors in our hiking boots feeling a little blue. Not to worry, though, Fat Bear Week 2024 is just around the corner to cheer you up, and you can place an early vote now.
If you don't already know, Fat Bear Week is a highly-anticipated March Madness-style bracket competition that has attracted millions of wildlife fans around the globe since its inception in 2014. This fun contest is a celebration of Katmai National Park's healthy, bear-friendly ecosystem. The Alaska National Park is one of the best brown (grizzly) bear viewing areas in the world with well over 2,000 bears and some of the highest bear densities ever recorded.
With the salmon jumping in the Brooks River, the time is ripe for Katmai's bruins to fatten up before going into winter torpor, a near-hibernation state where they'll spend most of their time sleeping. During this time, the bears will lose about one-third of their body weight, so the fatter they can get in the fall, the greater their chances of survival. During Fat Bear you can vote on which bear you think will be the biggest by the end of the competition.
“Fat Bear Week satisfies your hunger for bears, salmon, and the other wonders of Katmai,” says park superintendent Mark Sturm “all with one bite.”
Last year, a female bear named 128 Grazer emerged as the winner, looking sufficiently paunchy after duking it out against 11 other burly bears including previous two-time champion 744.
The action begins with Fat Bear Junior voting on September 26 and 27 (bracket revealed September 24). Voting for the main event takes place October 2 - 8, with the bracket revealed September 30. The champion fat bear will be crowned on Monday, October 8.
However, park officials know we can't wait that long, so right now you can cast an early ballot for what qualities a bear needs to get your vote once the competition opens. Will you vote based on body size, good looks, proven adaptability or fishing skills? More than 7,000 eager fans have already cast their votes, and so far it's clear one aspect stands out against all others: nearly 5,000 have said they'll be voting based on bulk alone.
Taking part is simple – head to Fatbearweek.org and vote for the bear you think will be fattest at the end of the week to help it advance to the next round.
Watch all the action live via the webcams on Explore.org to get up close and personal with these stunning beasts without needing bear spray.
