By Hannah Kremer, Managing Editor 

Katmai National Park in Alaska held their annual Fat Bear Week Tournament of the 2025 season, where bears compete for internet favoritism while preparing for their hibernation. After two years of coming in second place, salmon-gorging bear Chunk 32 was named this year’s winner.

The tournament has gained nationwide popularity since its creation in 2014. Viewers can hop online to the National Park Service’s website to watch bears wade in the river, search for their next meal or roll around in the grassy fields of Alaska. Fans can predict their winners using a bracket style sheet and vote for their favorite furry friends on an online form. 

The contest stems from a physiological state critical to bear survival in the winter known as hyperphagia. During hibernation, bears lose up to a third of their body fat, making them more susceptible to frigid temperatures. They must bulk up for the winter, during which they can gain up to four pounds a day by feeding on salmon, grass and berries. 

Rangers at Katmai track the bears’ weight to ensure their health and survival. For internet users, though, voting for these bears is rarely based on how much weight the contenders gain. Instead, it is a matter of who will win the public’s hearts. 

“Chunk 32 may have charmed me with his picture, but his story captured my heart,” junior nursing major and bear enthusiast Myra Darrah said. “The world may try to keep him down, but you can’t stop this baddie. That is why he has my vote.”

Fat Bear Week has several new and returning competitors this season. 32 Chunk, last year’s runner-up, made a remarkable comeback with a broken jaw. 

Rumors have circulated about his fate, given his new injury, allegedly caused by a fight with another male bear. Regardless, it seems that voters are enamored by his resilience in the face of hardship. 

128 Grazer posed a threat for the title, as she had been the reigning champ for the past two years. She is known as the mother bear of three litters and is fiercely protective of each of her cubs. 

Not only was she the first mother bear to win Fat Bear Week in 2023, but she is also known for her ability to catch fish at any location along the Brooks River. This year, her yearling cub has won the junior competition, following closely in her mother’s footsteps. 

New competition arose with Bear 602, who arrived in early July to fish when the first large wave of salmon came floating down the Brooks River. Since then, he has been best known for lounging by the riverside and taking naps surrounded by fish. This has earned him the endearing nickname “Floatato” by his many fans. 

This year, all the bears are expected to be enormous, as officials explain that they have seen a large run of salmon in 2025. The result is that the bears have become less irritable and more playful with one another. Their fluffy shenanigans are expected to gain the attraction of more than 10 million views on Katmai National Park’s live stream and more than one million votes cast, exceeding last year’s numbers. 

Instead of creating your roster for your NFL fantasy football draft or plotting your March Madness brackets, consider planning out your top contenders for next year’s Fat Bear Week. On their return, they’ll be fierce and fatter than ever.