Overview
- Park staff announced Backpack (bear No. 89) as the 2026 Fat Bear Week winner on Tuesday after the final vote placed him ahead of female bear No. 910.
- Backpack, an estimated 20-year-old male, drew more than 103,000 votes in the final and is estimated by rangers to weigh between 450 and 550 kilograms.
- The 12th annual contest drew a record total of more than 2.5 million votes from over 100 countries and presented 16 candidates over a week of online voting.
- Organizers use Explore.org webcams and before-and-after photos to show how bears fatten on summer salmon for hibernation and to educate the public about threats such as climate change.
- This year’s field included a mother over 20 years old with three cubs and last year’s champion Chunk, who was eliminated early, underscoring how the contest personalizes individual bears for outreach.