Fat Bear Week 2025: The Internet’s Favorite Wildlife Contest
Each summer and fall at Alaska’s Katmai National Park, brown bears chase one goal: eating as much as possible to survive the long, foodless winter. During hibernation, they neither eat nor drink and can lose up to a third of their body weight. The fatter they are by fall, the better their odds of making it to spring.
Katmai’s Brooks River provides the perfect buffet. From late June to mid-October, salmon swim upstream, and dozens of bears gather at the best spots along the river to feast ? snatching, pinning, or scooping fish from the rushing water. Every salmon helps build vital fat reserves for the cold months ahead.
Each year, people around the world join the story through Fat Bear Week, an online contest that compares photos of bears from early summer and fall. Voters choose which bear has gained the most impressive bulk. This year’s champion was Bear 32, nicknamed “Chunk.” When he appeared in June with a broken jaw, many doubted he could fish or compete. Because Katmai’s bears live entirely in the wild, no medical treatment is provided. But Chunk defied the odds, adapting his fishing techniques, avoiding fights, and growing into one of the park’s heaviest bears.
The runner-up honor went to Bear 856, while former champion 128 “Grazer” remained a fan favorite. Her cub even claimed the title of “fattest cub,” adding a heartwarming twist to this uniquely Alaskan celebration of wildlife, resilience, and survival.
May For The Teen Times teen/1761184139/1613367697
1. What happens to brown bears’ bodies and weight during the long winter hibernation period?
2. Where do Alaska’s brown bears gather each summer to catch salmon and prepare for hibernation?
3. Why does Katmai National Park hold the annual Fat Bear Week online contest for the public?
4. Who was crowned the 2025 Fat Bear Week champion, and how did he overcome his injury?
1. How does observing animals’ survival instincts influence the way you view your own life challenges?
2. Which qualities of the bears?resilience, adaptability, or determination?do you admire most personally?
3. How would you feel if you lived near Katmai National Park and observed the bears firsthand?
4. Has this story changed the way you think about the importance of preparation for future difficulties?
Each summer and fall at Alaska’s Katmai National Park, brown bears chase one goal: eating as much as possible to survive the long, foodless winter. During hibernation, they neither eat nor drink and can lose up to a third of their body weight. The fatter they are by fall, the better their odds of making it to spring.
