Fat Bear Week 2026 voting: Katmai National Park's 'Mega Chonks' face off
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Fat Bear Week returns to Katmai National Park on Tuesday, inviting wildlife fans worldwide to vote for the park's chunkiest brown bear.
Photo of bear #747 fishing in a river during Fat Bear Week 2022 (Katmai National Park and preserve) (Credit: Photo courtesy of NPS L. Law)
Fat Bear Week 2026 at Katmai National Park in Alaska
The annual tournament, which runs through Sept. 29, highlights the bear's seasonal transformation as they gorge on local salmon to build critical fat reserves for winter hibernation.
A family of bears in Brooks River. (NPS C. Loberg)
Park officials noted that this year's competition features a strong new generation of cubs at Brooks Camp.
US Department of the Interior: Fat Bear Week words to remember
The U.S. Department of the Interior took to social media to give the public some words to familiarize themselves with for Fat Bear Week:
- "Hefty" – Packing extra poundage
- "Hoss" – Has its own gravitational pull
- "Wide Load" – Please allow extra room at Brooks Falls
- "Built Different" – Mostly made of salmon
- "Mega Chonk" – Final boss of chonks
- "Big Back" – Self-explanatory
- "Winter-ready" – Fat. Glorious. Prepared.
"Study up. There will be a test," the U.S. Department of the Interior wrote in a Facebook post.
Meet the bears competing to be the 2026 Fat Bear Week champion in Alaska national park
Fat Bear Week is back at Katmai National Park in Alaska and this year, the competition is fiercer than ever.
Fat Bear Week 2026 voting
Participants can view the bracket and cast their ballots online at fatbearweek.org. Last year's contest drew more than 1.7 million votes from more than 100 countries, culminating in Bear 32, nicknamed "Chunk," taking the championship title.
In addition to the tournament website, fans can monitor the bears in real-time using live webcams provided by explore.org.
The Source: Information in this story comes from the National Park Service, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle.
MORE NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE
Greenwood taco truck owners seek answers after $7K hit-and-run
Chelan Hills Fire update: US Marshals arrest multiple suspects in western WA
Car crashes into utility pole, catches fire in Auburn, WA
Seattle mother fights for gun violence prevention 1 year after loss
CNN, MS NOW and Politico suing Trump administration over ban
Jaxon Smith-Njigba scores 3 TDs as Seattle Seahawks roll to 31-7 win over Cardinals
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.