Fat Bear Week 2025: Bear 32 Chunk crowned champion of the fatties after record vote
Lian Law / CommonsFat Bear Week 2025 has its winner, with Bear 32 Chunk claiming the crown after a global public vote that drew more than one million participants.
The result was announced on October 1 by Explore.org following the final showdown against Bear 856.
Chunk, an 18-to-20-year-old male from Katmai National Park, overcame a permanent jaw injury to bulk up on salmon this year. His resilience and size earned him the title in the 11th annual event, hosted by the National Park Service and Explore.org.
The competition ran from September 23 to September 30, pitting 12 brown bears against each other in a single-elimination bracket. Returning champion 128 Grazer, her offspring 128 Jr., and 602 Flotato were among the other contenders, but Chunk emerged on top after advancing through the rounds to defeat 856 in the finals.
The event highlights the survival struggle of Alaska’s brown bears as they pack on pounds before hibernation. Contestants are matched up in a single-elimination bracket, and the public decides who advances by casting daily votes online. The winner is announced on September 30.
This year’s line-up features 12 adult bears, including returning champion 128 Grazer, her offspring 128 Jr., crowd favorite 32 Chunk, and 602 Flotato. Each bear has a backstory, from injuries to raising cubs, that adds extra intrigue to the matchups.
Voting was simple. Each day, two bears were paired against one another in the bracket. Fans chose their pick on the official site, and the bear with the most votes moves on to the next round.
The competition also featured Fat Bear Junior, a preliminary round for cubs.
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What’s the point?
While this is just light-hearted fun, Fat Bear Week draws attention to the importance of fat reserves for brown bears’ survival during hibernation and the critical role salmon runs play in their ecosystem. The contest has become a global event, attracting millions of votes and bringing conservation awareness to audiences worldwide.
Fans followed the action through daily votes on the Fat Bear Week website and live bear cams provided by Explore.org. Now, with Chunk crowned as the 2025 champion, Katmai’s bears begin their long winter hibernation.