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Backpack voted Fat Bear Week 2026 winner, beating out another offspring of former champ
CBS News • • general
Key Points:
- Backpack has been crowned the 2026 Fat Bear Week champion at Katmai National Park & Preserve in Alaska, narrowly beating bear 910 with 103,334 votes to 98,253 in the final round.
- The competition featured 16 bears, with Backpack, son of 2019 champion Holly, overcoming a significant leg injury early in life to become a top contender and join the Fat Bear Week Hall of Champions.
- Fat Bear Week 2026 expanded its bracket from 12 to 16 competitors, causing an unprecedented surge in online voting that temporarily overwhelmed the website and extended the voting period.
- Since its inception in 2014, Fat Bear Week has crowned six champions, including multiple repeat winners like 480 Otis and 409 Beadnose, with the event drawing over 1.7 million votes from more than 100 countries in 2025.
- Katmai National Park officials highlighted the event as a celebration of resilience in bears and communities, emphasizing the tradition's role in connecting people to Alaska's wild places.
