Full Breakdown
Fat Bear Week 2026: Champion “Chunk” Returns as Competition Heats Up
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event – 2026 Fat Bear Week Competition Begins
Live cameras at Katmai National Park have captured the return of Bear #32, known as “Chunk,” as the park prepares for the 12th annual Fat Bear Week. The bracket reveal is scheduled for Friday, September 18, and the voting period runs from noon to 9 p.m. EDT each day between Tuesday, September 22, and Tuesday, September 29, when a winner will be crowned. Chunk, a male brown bear estimated at more than 1,200 pounds, was first spotted on the park’s southwestern Brooks Falls cameras this season, drawing immediate attention from viewers worldwide.
Background & Context – Origins and Growth of Fat Bear Week
Fat Bear Week was created in 2014 by former park ranger Mike Fitz, who wanted to illustrate the dramatic seasonal weight changes bears undergo. The first full-bodied event took place from October 7 onward of the following year and has since expanded into a global online voting phenomenon. In its inaugural year, fewer than 1,700 votes were cast; by 2025, more than 1.7 million votes had been recorded, reflecting participation from over 100 countries.
Data & Statistics – Bears, Votes, and Weight Gains
- Approximately 2,200 brown bears inhabit Katmai National Park, sharing the ecosystem with moose, wolves, and bald eagles.
- Adult male bears can increase from roughly 700 pounds in early summer to over 1,200 pounds by fall, consuming up to 200,000 calories per day during the salmon-rich feeding season.
- In the 2025 competition, Chunk secured 96,350 votes—about 30,000 more than runner-up Bear 856.
- Votes are cast on the official site fatbearweek.org; donations to the Katmai Conservancy’s Otis Fund made between September 22 and October 3 are matched by explore.org.
On-the-Ground Reports – Recent Bear Interactions
The summer’s livestream documented two tragic cub deaths: on Tuesday, July 28, a young brown bear cub was killed and eaten by an unrelated mother bear (Bear #806); on Sunday, August 2, a cub belonging to Bear #335 (Jolly) died after a mother bear attacked it while it was in a tree. Naturalist Mike Fitz and rangers Christine Loberg and Sarah Bruce described the July 28 incident as the first documented case of such behavior at Brooks River.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps – No Major Discrepancies Noted
All sources consistently describe Chunk’s condition, the voting schedule, and recent wildlife incidents. No contradictory figures or unresolved questions were identified.
Verbatim Quotes
- “There are more cubs at Brooks Camp this year than have been seen in a long time,” — Mark Sturm, Park Superintendent
What’s Next – Upcoming Bracket Reveal and Voting Schedule
- September 18: Bracket reveal for the 2026 competition.
- September 22 – September 29: Public voting window (noon–9 p.m. EDT).
- September 29: Winner announced.
- September 22 – October 3: Donations to the Otis Fund matched by explore.org.
The 2026 Fat Bear Week promises a fresh generation of contenders, with Chunk’s comeback adding a compelling storyline to the annual celebration of Alaska’s iconic brown bears.
