Overview

• Bear 32 “Chunk” defeated Bear 856 in the final round with 96,350 votes to 63,725, securing his first title after multiple runner-up finishes.
• Organizers reported a record total of more than 1.6 million votes cast over the weeklong bracket, surpassing prior years.
• Katmai officials estimated about 200,000 sockeye salmon in Brooks River this season, which eased competition for fishing spots and reduced bear conflicts.
• Chunk arrived with a broken jaw but adapted his feeding behavior to bulk up for hibernation, demonstrating notable resilience observed on the park’s livestreams.
• Contest weight figures are visual estimates—Chunk is pegged around 1,200 pounds—and bears are not handled, with occasional remote methods like LIDAR used to inform estimates and public education on bear–salmon ecosystem health.