Are you ready for the most delightful wildlife holiday of the year? After months of anticipation, Fat Bear Week 2022 has finally arrived. Hosted by Katmai National Park and Preserve, the event invites people worldwide to explore a “March-Madness style bracket” of the park’s fattest bears. You can even get involved by voting for the season’s beefiest bears. Voting opened today, Oct. 5, and closes on Tuesday, Oct. 11. Tune in for a live chat on the 11th (also known as Fat Bear Tuesday) to see which bear won the battle of the fattest.
As a news release from the park explained, “this game isn’t about keeping your eye on the ball, but rather keeping all the senses alert for the jumping salmon. Their competition isn’t about putting points on the board, but putting pounds on their weight. There are no such things as lightweights for the bears of Brooks River; doubling body weights in a matter of months is just par for the course around here.”
In July, excitement for Fat Bear Week grew as audiences tuned in to Explore.org’s live Katmai National Park bear cam. Sockeye salmon began their summer migration, and hungry bears waded into the water to feast on the fish. As the bears continue feasting this week, the live cam remains open for curious viewers. Pull up the livestream and cheer on those grizzly animals as they prepare for winter.
Katmai National Park’s Fat Bear Junior competition concluded at the end of September. This smaller event began in 2021 and focuses on younger bears. The adorably rotund 132’s spring cub won the 2021 Fat Bear Junior competition, and 909’s yearling won for 2022.
Keep your eye on this week’s competition by learning more via Katmai National Park’s Fat Bear Week hub. And don’t forget to visit Explore.org to vote for the fattest bear.