The bigger, the bear-er

As winter nears, the brown bears  of Alaska’s Katmai National Park,  

having spent months piling on  fat reserves for hibernation,  went head-to-head in Fat Bear Week.

1. Chunk (Bear 32), the 2025 Fat Bear Week champion, is seen in Katmai National Park and Preserve in southwest Alaska. The wild brown bear tipped the scales at an estimated 1,200 pounds when he clinched the title last year, but suffered an early knockout in the first round this year. — National Park Service/AFP

2. Bear 910, better known as the ‘Dancing Queen’, standing along the Brooks River. Hundreds of thousands of people took part in the global voting campaign, with Bear 910 claiming second place by just 5,000 votes in the final round. — National Park Service via AP

3. A brown bear tucks into a salmon in Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve. Now in its 12th year, Fat Bear Week celebrates the resilience of some 2,200 brown bears living on the Alaska Peninsula. — Katmai Conservancy via AP

4. A brown bear known as ‘Backpack’, officially Bear 89, wades through the Brooks River. After a week of fierce competition, Backpack emerged as this year’s Fat Bear Week champion. — explore.org via AP