The annual “Fat Bear Week” competition has wrapped up for another year and a new bear has been crowned the fattest bear in Alaska. The competition is put on by Katmai National Park in Alaska and serves as a fun way for kids and adults to learn more about these fierce predators.
Eleven different bears were part of the bracket with the winner being chosen by votes from the public. A bear named 32-Chunk has been voted the fattest bear for 2025 garnering just over 96 thousand votes, beating out Bear 856 and two-time champion 128-Grazer. Chunk had a slow start this summer due to a broken jaw, which park experts believe came from a fight with another bear. This is his first year as a winner after finishing in second place the previous three years.
Chunk’s estimated weight is 1,200 pounds, but none of the bears are officially weighed due to safety concerns. Estimates are determined by the use of a laser density scanner called LIDAR.
Winning bears are determined by using a combination of votes in a bracket-style single elimination tournament. Many of these bears gather near the Brooks River in the park where salmon stocks are plenty allowing bears to eat well and fatten up for the long winter sleep. It’s not uncommon for bears to eat upwards of 100 pounds of salmon each summer before they hibernate for five months.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the fat bear competitors.
Over 1.5 million votes were cast in this year’s fat bear week competition, the most in its 20 years of existence.
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