Backpack has been crowned the winner of Fat Bear Week after a week full of competitive voting, becoming the largest bear in Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve.
The organization behind the annual contest announced Backpack’s victory Tuesday, where he garnered over 100,000 votes—netting him just above 50% of the total, edging out Bear 910.
Now in its 12th year, this event celebrates the 2,200 brown bears inhabiting the preserve located on the Alaska Peninsula, stretching towards the Aleutian Islands.
Fat Bear Week kicked off in 2014 as a fun way for people to engage with and learn about brown bears, which are related to grizzlies.
Last year’s champion, Chunk—also known as Bear 32—competed at an impressive weight of about 1,200 pounds but was eliminated early in this year’s contest by Bucky, who ultimately lost to Backpack, officially labeled Bear 89.
This year’s competition saw 16 bears battling it out for the heavyweight title in a single-elimination format.
Voting took place online at www.fatbearweek.org, with Backpack confirmed as the winner after the polls closed on Tuesday evening.
Fans had the opportunity to watch the bears via livestream cameras on explore.org, which added an interactive element to their voting experience.
The nonprofit emphasizes that “fat bears are successful bears,” as these animals thrive on the abundant salmon returning to the Brooks River each summer. Here, they can fill up on food to gather the necessary fat reserves for winter survival. To qualify for the contest, bears must frequent the river area.
Backpack is the offspring of a previous Fat Bear Week champion named Holly, who introduced him to the Brooks River when he was just a cub in 2006. His name comes from his tendency to climb onto his mother’s back while swimming.
This year, spectators showed their support for Backpack, often commenting on his gentle demeanor and family heritage on social media.
Described as more peaceful than many of his larger male counterparts, Backpack has gained a reputation for his “quiet strength,” often seen lounging on a rock by the river, enjoying his surroundings.
In the final, he bested Bear 910, the daughter of another former titleholder, Bear 409 Beadnose.
Interestingly, male brown bears typically weigh between 600 and 900 pounds in midsummer, but they can easily surpass 1,000 pounds by the time they prepare to hibernate after consuming vast amounts of fish. Female bears, on the other hand, tend to be about one-third smaller.
During this season, these bears can devour up to 30 fish a day, working hard to stock up on food for the six months of winter hibernation ahead.
During hibernation, brown bears don’t eat or drink, which can lead them to lose a significant portion of their body weight—up to a third.
This year’s Fat Bear Week also featured five bear families, acknowledging the unusually high number of mothers and cubs present at the river this summer.
A mother bear must not only care for her young but also ensure she has enough calories to survive hibernation, all while protecting them from potential threats posed by territorial bears or food shortages.
Bear 132 and her trio of cubs made it to the semifinals but were eventually defeated by Bear 910. Bear 132 is noted for being among the largest and most seasoned mothers at Brooks River. In mid-July, one of her cubs got separated but was reunited with the family a few days later.
