Hefty Winner

A brown bear named Backpack was crowned (not literally) 2026 Fat Bear Week champion on September 29.

Fat Bear Week is an annual tournament. It takes place online via Explore.org, a nonprofit that operates live nature cameras. People vote for their favorite chunky brown bear living in Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve. The tournament started in 2014 as a way to inform the public about brown bears. In late summer and early fall, the bears fatten up on salmon to prepare for hibernation. On its website, Explore.org says: “Fat bears are successful bears.”

This year, Fat Bear Week voting took place from September 22–29. The winner was chosen from 16 bears. In the end, Bear 89, nicknamed Backpack, got the most votes. More than 100,000 people chose him as their champion.

Backpack’s name was inspired by his habit of climbing onto his mother's back as a cub. He’s now 20 years old and weighs between 1,000 and 1,200 pounds. He’s known for his gentle nature. “Unlike many large adult male bears, Backpack hasn’t shown much aggression toward his competitors,” his contestant profile reads, adds that he’s known for his “quiet strength.”