Overview

• Fat Bear Week officially begins on October 2, with online voting for the chunkiest bears in tournament-style brackets.
• The four cub contestants for this year's Fat Bear Jr. contest were announced, including past champions from 2022 and 2023.
• An emotional favorite is a spring cub of Grazer, the 2023 Fat Bear champ, whose sibling died in a tragic waterfall accident.
• Adult male brown bears in Katmai can weigh over 1,000 pounds by hibernation time, after feasting on sockeye salmon all summer.
• The adult contestants for Fat Bear Week will be revealed on September 30, with voting running from October 2 to October 8.