Fat Bear Week begins! All eyes on most beloved animals on Alaska national park to see who has bulked up the most before they hibernate for the winter

Fat Bear Week has commenced, bringing a beloved population of Alaskan brown bears to center stage - but only the burliest will take home the crown.

The annual competition began this week at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska, which is home to some of the world's largest bears. In late summer and fall, the weight of some males often eclipses 1,200 pounds.

The National Park Service launched the event in 2014 with just a single celebratory day called 'Fat Bear Tuesday.' However, the day proved so popular that it was extended to a full week the following year. 

The celebration is meant to showcase the furry denizens of Brooks River, a waterway chock-full of sockeye salmon that attracts one of the largest gatherings of brown bears on Earth.

Now, some of the bears that have been bulking ahead of the winter months will participate in the bracket-style competition, in which people vote for their favorite.

'Fat Bear Week highlights the accomplishments of these burly bruins and shines a spotlight on the healthy ecosystem in which they can thrive,' a news release from the National Park Service read.

'Without the pristine Brooks Rivers ecosystem to support an abundant salmon run, there would be no Fat Bear champions.'

The bracket matchups were revealed on October 2. Voting will take place from October 4 to October 10 at fatbearweek.org, with the victor announced on the final day.

It is yet to be known if last year's champion, simply named Bear 747, will take home the grand prize of the adoration of hundreds of fans worldwide.

Time to meet this year's candidates.

Chunk is described as a 'large adult male with narrowly-set eyes, a prominent brow ridge, and a distinctive scar across his muzzle,' according to explore.org

Chunk was first identified in 2007 as a 'chunky-looking 2.5-year-old bear

Chunk is described as a 'large adult male with narrowly-set eyes, a prominent brow ridge, and a distinctive scar across his muzzle,' according to explore.org.

He was first identified in 2007 as a 'chunky-looking 2.5-year-old bear' who caught attention for his 'enigmatic' behavior,  such as playing with other bears or waiting to scavenge leftover salmon instead of challenging other males.

But this summer, he began using 'his size and confidence to his advantage' and came roaring back - no pun intended. In 2023, he ranked not only among the largest males, but the most dominant.

This is bear #128, identified as Grazer 

Grazer is described as a 'particularly defensive mother bear' who has raised two litters to date

Grazer is an adult female 'with a long straight muzzle and conspicuously blond ears' that darken in late summer and fall.

She was introduced to the Brooks River as a cub in 2005 and has become one of the most competent fishers, applying techniques like chasing down fleeing salmon or scavenging dying fish after they spawn.

Grazer is described as a 'particularly defensive mother bear' who has raised two litters to date. She is not afraid of confronting much larger adult males to ensure her cubs' safety and is one of the area's 'most formidable, successful, and adaptable bears.'

Walker is a large adult male who often develops 'dark eye rings' in early summer. He is easily recognizable thanks to his 'light bulb or pear-shaped body'

Park officials first learned of Walker when he was an independent two-and-a-half-year-old

Walker is a large adult male who often develops 'dark eye rings' in early summer. He is easily recognizable thanks to his 'light bulb or pear-shaped body.'

Park officials first learned of Walker when he was an independent two-and-a-half-year-old in 2009. While he remained 'tolerant and playful' during his young adult years, he became much less tolerant as he grew.

He ranks high in the current pecking order and exhibits his dominance by displacing others from preferred fishing spots, a comprehensible feat due to his size.

Bear 164 is a medium-sized adult male whose fur darkens in the summer

164 is more creative than the others, having invented his own fishing spots. He has taken up post at the very base of cascading Brooks Falls, at the end of the deepest plunge pool

Bear 164 is a medium-sized adult male whose fur darkens in the summer. Many observers identify him thanks to an 'apparent indentation at the base of his upper muzzle.'

164 is more creative than the others, having invented his own fishing spots. He has taken up post at the very base of cascading Brooks Falls, at the end of the deepest plunge pool. Here he can catching salmon swimming in the pool below or falling through midair.

'This is a spot that no other bear - currently or in the recent past - has tried to fish consistently,' according to the site.

Bear #284, Electra, has 'perky ears, a long neck, and prominent shoulder hump'

Bear 284 has given birth to two litters of cubs - at least, that park officials know of. She is the mother of fellow competitor 901, who was part of her 2016 litter.

This adult female has 'perky ears, a long neck, and prominent shoulder hump.' She quickly rose to prominence after separating from her mother in 2011 and has used the river every year since then.

Bear 284 has given birth to two litters of cubs - at least, that park officials know of. She is the mother of fellow competitor 901, who was part of her 2016 litter.

Her family line has long used Brooks River, and she is described as being 'part of a legacy that spans generations.'

This contender has 'crescent or apostrophe-shaped ears' and is also quite plump in late summer and fall when she isn't caring for cubs

'Few bears can rival 402's maternal experience,' as she has mothered at least eight litter

This contender has 'crescent or apostrophe-shaped ears' and is also quite plump in late summer and fall when she isn't caring for cubs.

'Few bears can rival 402's maternal experience,' as she has mothered at least eight litters. But with great successes come crushing defeats, as she has also experienced the loss of entire litters.

One of the cubs from her most recent litters vanished in 2022, but she continued to care for her single yearling over the summer, embodying 'the triumphs and difficulties of a long-lived mother bear.'

Bear 428 is described as a 'pudgy' subadult bear, currently three and a half years old

This year was the first time she managed to navigate Brooks River without her mother's help

Bear 428 is described as a 'pudgy' subadult bear, currently three and a half years old. She is also the daughter of Bear 128, or Grazer, and followed her mother's lead in fishing in areas where salmon were most plentiful.

This year was the first time she managed to navigate Brooks River without her mother's help. She is said to have navigated these unfamiliar challenges 'by utilizing opportunity as it came even if opportunity came inconsistently.'

Holly is said to resemble the 'shape and color of a lightly toasted marshmallow' whose life has been colored by 'hardship, surprises, and success 

Holly was also the 2019 Fat Bear Week champion

Holly is said to resemble the 'shape and color of a lightly toasted marshmallow' whose life has been colored by 'hardship, surprises, and success.' She was also the 2019 Fat Bear Week champion.

She raised an injured yearling cub in 2007 who continues to use Brooks River. Seven years later, she welcomed a lone cub into her family, raising it alongside her biological cub and weaning them in the spring of 2016. They both grew into successful adults. While her cub born in the spring of 2020 suffered from porcupine quills in a front paw, the cub appeared to be fully healed the year after.

Holly returned to the river as a single bear in 2023, but is still packing on the pounds to last through the winter and possibly give birth to a new litter in the den.

Otis is a large adult male with a 'blocky muzzle' and a quirky 'floppy right ear'

Otis faces strong competition from younger adult males for the best fishing spots - and also 'must persevere through the poor condition of his teeth

Otis is a large adult male with a 'blocky muzzle' and a quirky 'floppy right ear.' He was between four and six years old when he was first discovered in 2001 and is now one of the older males at the river.

He faces strong competition from younger adult males for the best fishing spots - and also 'must persevere through the poor condition of his teeth,' like many aging bears. He is missing two canines, while others are greatly worn.

Otis is one of the park's greatest success stories. He arrived with jutting hip and rib bones and was virtually emaciated. However, he persisted and stood at the falls, waiting for salmon to come to him while he battled hunger. Today, he has secured more Fat Bear titles than anyone. He was the inaugural champion in 2014, followed by victories in 2016, 2017 and 2021.

Reigning champ Bear 747 is a large adult male who frequently sports scars and wounds on his face and neck - battle scars

At over 20 years old, 747 has become a common target for younger rivals seeking the most productive fishing spots

Reigning champ Bear 747 is a large adult male who frequently sports scars and wounds on his face and neck - battle scars. He is also aptly named, as 'few brown bears ever grow as large as the bear who shares an identification number with a jet airplane.'

He was found in 2004 as a young bear who struggled to compete with the larger bears for fish, but since then, he's grown to be absolutely massive - at one point, to an estimated 1,400 pounds.

At over 20 years old, 747 has become a common target for younger rivals seeking the most productive fishing spots. The site reads: 'With his fishing skill and rank near the top of the hierarchy, advantage comes to 747 in ways that not all bears experience, but that does not mean life near the top of the hierarchy is not without its difficulties.'

Bear 901 is a medium-sized adult female with 'blond-rimmed, triangular ears.' She was first identified at two and a half years old in 2018

901 is seen in photos from July. He has put on a few pounds since the summer

Bear 901 is a medium-sized adult female with 'blond-rimmed, triangular ears.' She was first identified at two and a half years old in 2018. In 2022, she made it to the final round of the competition and delivered three spring cubs - likely due in part to the weight she gained.

With a family to care for, 901 was more cautious throughout the summer. She frequently used the less popular river mouth area instead of travelling to the falls, likely an attempt to protect her cubs.

Unfortunately, one of her cubs disappeared while she fished in the lower Brooks River in mid-September. While she certainly rose to the occasion, first-time mothers are particularly challenged to feed their family while keeping them safe.