Katmai National Park is gearing up for its twelfth annual Fat Bear Week from September 22-29. Last year’s champion, Chunk 32, a 1,200-pound male brown bear with injuries including a broken jaw, has returned to the park's Brooks Falls. The competition includes twelve bears in single-elimination brackets; last year over 1.7 million votes were cast from more than 100 countries. This event highlights how bears prepare for winter hibernation by consuming large amounts of food like sockeye salmon during summer and fall, with some eating up to 200,000 calories daily.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-17,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Chunk 32, a 1,200-pound male brown bear and last year's champion, has been spotted at Alaska’s Katmai National Park. Despite injuries including a broken jaw, Chunk managed to win the title last year. This year, with more cubs than seen in a long time, new competitors are emerging for the 12th annual Fat Bear Week from September 22-29. The event highlights how bears prepare for winter by gorging themselves during summer months at Brooks Falls. Chunk's resilience and current condition will be closely watched as organizers announce his rivals this Friday.
Written for “Fat Bear Week Returns” on 2026-09-18,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Chunk 32, a 1,200-pound male brown bear, was spotted on live cameras Wednesday at the park’s southwestern Brooks Falls.
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Chunk → spot → Falls
Chunk’s landslide win last year was remarkable, officials say, given the fact he had injuries including a broken jaw.
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he → say → jaw
It remains unknown how his injuries were sustained.
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injuries → remain → ?
“His entire mandible, one of his canines and his front teeth are just completely broken,” Katmai National Park ranger Sarah Bruce told KTUU Thursday.
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Bruce → break → canines
“That bone is completely broken and he’s still able to get really fat.
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he → break → ?
But whether Chunk can keep his crown this season is up for debate.
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keep → keep → debate
“There are more cubs at Brooks Camp this year than have been seen in a long time,” Park Superintendent Mark Sturm said in a statement.
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Sturm → be → statement
“A new generation of fat bears is taking shape, and they’re off to a strong start.”
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they → take → start
Chunk’s competitors in the September 22-29 battle royale - the 12th annual Fat Bear Week - are expected to be announced Friday.
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competitors → expect → royale
Last year, a dozen furry competitors faced off in single-elimination brackets for online voters, who took part from more than 100 countries.
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who → face → countries
Over 1.7 million votes were cast by the time the week was over, according to the National Park Service - a far cry from fewer than 1,700 votes when the contest first started.
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contest → cast → votes
There is no actual prize for the bears, but the winner "best exemplifies fatness and success in brown bears," officials say on the contest website.
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officials → be → website
However Fat Bear Week marks the yearly preparation for the bears’ October and November hibernation period.
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Week → mark → period
Bears hibernate to conserve energy and because food sources are scarce in the winter.
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sources → hibernate → winter
During summer and early fall, the bears need to consume a lot of food - like sockeye salmon - to help them build up fat reserves for energy needed during hibernation.
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them → need → hibernation
Bears may consume upwards of 200,000 calories each day when they’re stocking up.
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they → consume → calories
Scientists make educated estimates how much they weigh because they don’t want to disturb the animals.
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they → make → animals
Approximately 2,200 brown bears live in Katmai, which is also home to moose, wolves, and bald eagles.
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which → live → moose
How did Fat Bear Week start?
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Week → start → ?
Fat Bear Week started in 2014 thanks to Mike Fitz, a former ranger at the 4-million acre park.
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Week → start → park
Fitz had been looking for a way to highlight the immense changes a bear goes through after seeing two images of the same bear in June and September that were startlingly different.
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that → look → June
He and rangers held a one-day event, with votes cast on Facebook.
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votes → hold → Facebook
The first full-bodied Fat Bear Week was held October 7-13 of the next year, with its popularity growing since then.
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popularity → hold → year
What happened last year?
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What → happen → ?
Last year, Chunk bested a veteran bear, known as “856”, following a narrow loss to 128 Grazer - the first mother bear to clinch the title - in 2024.
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Chunk → best → 2024
Chunk’s loss was likely swayed by history with 128 Grazer’s cub.
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loss → sway → cub
Chunk attacked the cub after the young bear slipped over the waterfall and floated into his fishing spot.
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bear → attack → spot
Grazer fought Chunk but the cub ultimately died.
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cub → fight → Chunk
How can you vote this year?
Votes are cast on fatbearweek.org.
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Votes → vote → fatbearweek.org
If you want a taste of the voting right now, there are several sample polls already posted to the website.
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you → want → website
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