The brown bears residing in Katmai National Park have been feasting on salmon throughout the warm months, and with the arrival of autumn, it’s time to announce the heavyweight winner.
Fat Bear Week started on Sept. 23 and wraps up on Tuesday, when thousands across the country will choose between two beasts of epic proportions.
First on the list is 32 Chunk, a sizable adult male known for his dark brown fur and a distinctive scar on his nose. Weighing in at around 1,200 lbs, Chunk is one of the largest bears frequently seen at Brooks River, a prime location for brown bears during the thriving Alaskan salmon migration.
This year, Chunk faced significant challenges, arriving at the river in June with a broken jaw. Experts suspect he sustained the injury during a confrontation with another bear, given the timing and nature of his condition.
Despite this setback affecting one of his key assets, Chunk quickly adapted his eating techniques. He managed to catch and eat salmon effectively without fully using his jaw and skillfully avoided altercations with other dominant bears along the river.
His competitor is 856, another formidable male with a long history of controlling the river thanks to his impressive size and prowess in fights. When upright, he’s thought to be over 5 feet tall at the shoulder.
As he ages, 856 has had to employ a more strategic approach in choosing when to engage with younger bears. Where he once relied on his sheer power to claim prime fishing areas, he now banks on his cunning to ensure a plentiful, salmon-rich summer.
The final matchup in Fat Bear Week 2025 is a tough choice between two bears with equally impressive sizes, skills and adaptability, and it’s anybody’s guess who will come out on top this year.
Vote in the last round of Fat Bear Week.
