In brief
Alaska’s Katmai National Park hosts the highly publicized Fat Bear Week, a whimsical contest that celebrates the heaviest brown bears. This year, the brown bear known as 89 Backpack narrowly beat competitor 910, winning 103,344 votes to 98,253 in the final tally. The event draws millions of online voters who cheer for hefty rotund bears that gorge on salmon, berries and other foods before hibernation. Backpack, whose mother Holly was last year’s champion, is now preparing to enter a six‑month den after his win.
Backpack Surpasses the Competition to Claim the Fat Bear Title
Every summer, the Katmai National Park in Alaska turns into a wildlife carnival with its Fat Bear Week, a light‑hearted race that sees brown bears, hefty as ever, compete to become the heavy‑weight champion before winter hibernation.
In 2026, the contest was won by 89 Backpack, a brown bear famed for his “chonk and the badonk” frame. Backpack won a tight race, garnering 103,344 votes over his rival 910’s 98,253. The N.P.S. dubbed the showdown a “battle of size, skill, snack acquisition, and strategic loafing.”
Backpack’s story is rooted in family ties—his mother Holly was the 2019 Fat Bear Week champion. The bear earned his nickname from a habit in youth: climbing onto Holly’s back while she patrolled the salmon‑rich Brooks River.
With over 1.7 million votes cast from more than 100 countries last year, the event has grown into a global, interactive experience. Fans flock to the park’s live streams, participate in the social‑media chat and contribute to the online tally, turning wildlife watching into a worldwide community event.
While the competition’s final weight numbers remain unpublished, experts note that an adult male brown bear in mid‑summer can weigh up to 408 kg, with summers often adding a quarter of that before autumn. The heavier the babe, the greater his stash of fat reserves, vital for a hibernation that can stretch up to six months.
As Backpack prepares to close his eyes in a riverkenned den, the attention turns to how his massive frame—paired with strategic salmon feasting—helped him summit the leaderboard.
