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Fat Bear Week 2026 is here: Meet Chunk, Bucky and other contenders
CBS News • • general
Key Points:
- Fat Bear Week 2026 features 16 bears competing in a single-elimination tournament at Katmai National Park, expanding from 12 competitors last year, including the defending champion, Chunk.
- Voting for the competition runs daily from 12 to 9 p.m. ET between September 22 and September 29, with the winner decided at the end of the week.
- The event, which began in 2014, attracted over 1.7 million votes from more than 100 countries in 2025, and viewers can watch the bears live via Explore.org webcams at Brooks Falls.
- Bears have reached "peak fat" after summer feeding on salmon and berries, preparing for winter hibernation that can last four to six months without eating.
- Notable contenders include Chunk, recovering from a broken jaw, and other bears like 89 Backpack, 151 Walker, and 164 Bucky, each known for unique traits and feeding strategies as they compete for the title.
