Overview

• Katmai National Park declared bear 32 “Chunk” the winner over bear 856 in the final round of the webcam-driven contest.
• Rangers estimate Chunk weighs more than 500 kilograms and say he endured a broken jaw this summer yet continued to feed successfully.
• The 11th edition drew more than 1.6 million votes from over one hundred countries, according to the park.
• Twelve bears—seven females and five males—competed through six elimination rounds to reach the final pairing.
• Explore.org hosted the vote and livestreams, using before-and-after images to show seasonal weight gain as the park highlights ecosystem health and climate threats.