2025 Fat Bear Week Champion Pulls Off Remarkable Comeback

This picture supplied by the Nationwide Park Service reveals bear 32 Chunk at Katmai Nationwide Park in Alaska on Sept. 19, 2024. (E. Johnston/Nationwide Park Service through AP)

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In an upset for the ages, Fats Bear Week’s 2025 champion is 32 Chunk, who denied a possible “three-peat” by his longtime rival, 128 Grazer.

Fats Bear Week celebrates the triumphs and tribulations of among the world’s largest bears, who reside in Alaska’s Katmai Nationwide Park and Protect. Every spring, the brown bears emerge from winter hibernation considerably scrawny and able to feast. They must spend the hotter climate consuming a 12 months’s price of meals in lower than six months to outlive hibernation, after they lose as much as a 3rd of their physique weight. So being a fats bear means being a profitable bear.

Fats bear fanatics can watch the bruins bulk up by fishing for sockeye salmon courtesy of eight free “bear cams” within the Brooks River area of Katmai Nationwide Park. Typically the cameras seize actually wild drama — like final summer season, when Chunk killed Grazer’s cub, dubbed Smalls.

Chunk grew to become a villain within the eyes of many Fats Bear Week voters, and Grazer pulled off a second victory over him in 2024. However the paunchy pugilist helped sway public opinion this season when he reappeared post-hibernation with a damaged jaw and injured paw. Regardless of his accidents, he managed to bulk up and now weighs round 1,200 kilos. There’s nothing boring about this boar!

How Chunk Turned Fats Bear Week Champ

Chunk confronted hefty competition this 12 months. Within the remaining bracket, he confronted beloved behemoth 856, one of many oldest bears on the river. (Katmai Nationwide Park doesn’t identify bears however assigns them a quantity after a bear monitor observes them within the Brooks River area for a 3rd time.)

Thought-about an previous timer since he’s over 20 years previous, 856 — who some followers favor unnamed, whereas others are pulling for nicknames like Tank or the Fluffinator — is a beloved bear not only for his grizzled girth, however the best way he mourned his “spouse,” 402, after she was killed by one other bear final 12 months — visiting her physique and the place she was killed, pacing and clearly lacking his mate.

However this was destined to be Chunk’s 12 months. The ultimate day of voting totaled 96,350 votes for Chunk and 63,725 votes for 856 at FatBearWeek.org.

In earlier brackets, Chunk beat out 602, affectionately nicknamed the “Flotato” for the charming method he floats on his again — typically with a half-eaten salmon over his eyes like an eye fixed pillow. Chunk’s belly dominion additionally bested 901, a chonky feminine who gained a lot weight this summer season that park rangers hope she shall be mothering cubs subsequent season.

How To Preserve Celebrating Fats Bear Week

Followers of Fats Bear Week can proceed to rejoice these fabulous fatties by October 4 by donating to the nonprofit Katmai Conservancy’s Otis Fund, named in honor of a beloved bear and four-time Fats Bear Week champ who didn’t seem this 12 months.

All donations to the Otis Fund shall be matched as much as $350,000 by Discover.org, which operates the free “bear cams” (watched by over 11 million individuals final 12 months) and companions with Katmai Nationwide Park and the Katmai Conservancy to supply Fats Bear Week enjoyable annually. The donations assist assist the park, the bears and the salmon.

By October 3, Fats Bear Week lovers can submit “inventive expressions” impressed by what they’ve seen on bear cams to the Bear Cam Fan Art Contest within the classes of Wildlife, Habitat and Public Lands/Water. Paintings can embody poems, drawings, work, knitting and woodworking.

The winner shall be introduced on Oct. 4 when Fats Bear Week festivities lastly conclude throughout a “Brown Bear Celebration and Fundraiser” at 4 p.m. Japanese on the Brooks Live channel of Discover.org.

Within the meantime, cheers to Champion Chunk!