Alaskan brown bears compete for ‘chubbiest bear’ title in Fat Bear Week 2025

The 11th Fat Bear Week is set to kick off in Katmai National Park, Alaska, later this month.

The brown bears of the region will compete for the title of chunkiest, chubbiest and bulkiest bear from September 23 to 30.

The competition by the National Park Service offers a live stream of Alaskan bears and viewers are asked to choose the bulkiest beast through online voting. The competition doesn’t offer prize money to the winner of this wild animal contest.

According to the New York Post, the voting this year will be open all week from noon to 9 p.m.

Taking to Facebook, the National Park Service shared the news with wildlife fans and stated, “From tubby titans to gargantuan gluttons, get ready to cheer for the heftiest bears in Katmai National Park & Preserve’s Brooks River! Stay tuned for the bracket reveals, bear bios, and belly-busting fun.”

The Park Service also shared a picture of the 2023 and 2024 reigning champion, stating, “Brace yourselves, bear buffs! #FatBearWeek, the ultimate bracket competition where the public votes for the bear that achieves peak spherical status, is just around the corner!”

Alaska is home to a significant brown bear population with nearly 30,000 bears living in the state.