Fat Bear Week

Fat Bear Week is an annual event held in October by Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska, commemorating the impressive seasonal preparations made by brown bears inhabiting Katmai as they ready themselves for their winter hibernation. The competition is jointly organized by the National Park Service and Explore.org. Spectators from around the world are invited to participate by casting online votes to determine the bear that has most effectively accumulated fat reserves. In 2023, AP News called the competition "Alaska’s most-watched popularity contest".

The event serves as a testament to the remarkable feats of weight gain demonstrated by these bears, often exceeding 1,000 pounds, during the pivotal summer and autumn months when they fervently feed on salmon in anticipation of their extended hibernation period. Every bit of fat that they can get counts, too. Bears can lose up to a third of their body weight during hibernation, as they cannot eat or drink until they emerge in the spring. Beyond its playful competitive aspect, Fat Bear Week also serves a crucial role in advocating for bear conservation, cultivating an interest in wildlife, and encouraging positive human-nature interactions through the utilization of live webcams strategically placed along the Brooks River.



Background
Katmai National Park and Reserve, a significant expanse dedicated to conservation and recreation spans 16,552 square kilometers (6,391 square miles) in the southwestern region of Alaska, encompassing a substantial portion of the Alaska Peninsula. This vast area features numerous lakes, rivers teeming with red salmon, diverse wildlife, notably the Alaska brown bear, and several volcanoes, and serves as the backdrop for the annual Fat Bear Week competition. The national park is home to approximately 2,200 brown bears.

Throughout the summer and fall, the brown bears of Katmai National Park embark on a quest for sustenance, primarily feasting on the sockeye salmon found in the park's rivers. This feeding frenzy, known scientifically as hyperphagia, allows them to accumulate the critical fat reserves needed to survive months of hibernation, which typically begins in November. Adult male bears, in particular, can pack on astounding amounts of weight during this period, with some gaining up to 500 pounds (230 kg) or more. By the time hibernation starts in October and November, males may weigh up to 1,200 pounds (540 kg).

These bears are known to consume as much as 120 pounds (54 kg) of salmon in a single day, sometimes catching as many as 30 fish daily. These fish can help them gain up to 4 pounds a day, throughout the entirety of the season.

Notably, weight gain is not solely a matter of survival but also a necessity for expectant mother bears. Successful pregnancies hinge on the adequate accumulation of fat reserves during the fall months, which give the mothers sufficient energy stores to nurture their cubs through the Alaskan winter.

Conservation efforts
The competition is intended to raise awareness, help generate interest in conservation, and give people a chance to engage with wildlife via the webcams. Rangers associated with Fat Bear Week have also cited a desire to increase accessibility to the otherwise remote Katmai National Park. Evidence of this positive interaction with wildlife can be seen in the fan groups and pages started on social media groups. One such group even began a charity bracket event organized by Fat Bear fans. The money raised from the buy in was donated to a charity chosen by the bracket winner. One such charity was the Katmai Conservancy.

History
Fat Bear Week was founded as Fat Bear Tuesday by former park ranger Mike Fitz in 2014. He came up with the idea after noting the interest in online livestreams of the bears feeding at the river. Visitors to the national park were asked to review before and after photos of a number of the park's bears and to vote for the fattest bear in a single-elimination tournament, which was hosted on Facebook. In 2015, the tournament went digital and was extended to a week.

In 2021, a new addition to the Fat Bear Week tradition emerged with the introduction of the Fat Bear Junior bracket. This separate competition features young, chubby bear cubs vying for the opportunity to advance to the main bracket and contend against the more seasoned, hefty bears.

2022 voter fraud
Fat Bear Week faced a notable controversy during the 2022 event, marked by a voter fraud incident that temporarily cast a shadow over the integrity of the competition. The incident unfolded during the semi-finals, where Bear 435, known as Holly, initially appeared to secure victory over Bear 747.

Organizers of the competition detected irregularities in the voting process and an investigation revealed that Holly had received an astonishing surge of 9,000 fraudulent votes in a short span, which had propelled her to the top.

In response to the fraudulent votes, the park officials swiftly took action to rectify the situation. They identified and discarded the illegitimate votes, ensuring the fairness of the competition. The official totals were adjusted, ultimately confirming Bear 747 as the legitimate winner with 37,940 votes, while Bear 435 received 30,430 votes.

Tournament
Fat Bear Week takes place every October. The event is organized by the National Park Service and Explore.org, and anyone can participate by voting online for their preferred bear.

Qualification criteria
In order to qualify for Fat Bear Week, brown bears of the Katmai National Park must have been spotted catching sockeye salmon at the Brooks River. A 1.5 mi section of the river, which has webcams, is used to choose eligible bears. Bears must be seen not just in the fall but also in the summer season as well.

The subjective contest is a single-elimination tournament. Each day, two bears are presented in a match-up, identified by numbers. The bear with the most votes advances to the next round. In order to evaluate which bears have gained the most weight in preparation for hibernation, the public is able to view before and after photos of specific bears, watch them on livestream feeds, and read their biographies. The biographies include information on their feeding habits, personality traits, and physical features. The winner of the final match-up is named the tournament champion.

Fat Bear Week 2023
In 2023, Fat Bear Week occurred from October 4 to October 10. One of the webcams used during Fat Bear Week aided in the rescue of a hiker on September 5, 2023; at 3:15p.m. a visibly cold and soaked hiker appeared in the webcam frame on Dumpling Mountain seeking help. After viewers notified authorities, park rangers found the hiker near the camera at approximately 6:48p.m.