Fat Bear Week returns, spotlight on Mama Bear #132

natureSep 21, 202615272

Katmai National Park’s annual Fat Bear Week returns and opens voting Tuesday, September 22, from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. EDT. First-time entrant Bear #132, nicknamed Mama Bear, spent the summer with three cubs after one of her spring cubs became separated around mid-July and wandered Brooks River alone for several days before reuniting with her. Explore.org noted 132’s familiarity with Brooks River likely helped her keep her cubs safe; mother bears face risks such as attacks from other bears and starvation when cubs are unprotected. Researchers first identified Bear #132 in 2009 as a 4.5-year-old subadult, and observers have speculated she may be a littermate of two-time champion Bear #128 Grazer and possibly the mother of contender Bear #806. In the first-round bracket, Bear #132 and her cubs face Bear #284 Electra and her two cubs. Fat Bear Week is a single-elimination online tournament run by the Katmai Conservancy that began in 2014 and now draws international voting to celebrate bears fattening up on the Brooks Falls salmon run.

Lisa 🇨🇦

@pinkmouse.bsky.social

Yes the Fat Bear obsession is real. This is a really great article from the NYT last year about the winner Chunk. ♥️ Chunk weighed around 1200 lbs. His story is also extremely interesting. It attests to his ability to not only survive but thrive with a broken jaw. #Timelinecleanse #Blues #SheShed

5313h ago

Steve in Manhattan1

dude's got a long winter to get through ...

Dawn 🇨🇦🇺🇦🇺🇸🫣1

Yeah at 1200 that jaw was working pretty darn well! Way to go Chunk!

reni 🦌

@reniadeb.com

don't forget to put out salmon and berries tonight under the fat bear tree or else fat bear santa won't leave you any fat bear presents

582h ago

Lev Parikian

@levparikian.bsky.social

Fully expecting this to be the year that a committed and po-faced pro-salmon backlash on Bluesky leads to the cancellation of Fat Bear Week

3517h ago

Mister Alex4

I will fight anyone who tries to cancel fat bear week. Actual fisticuffs, time and place of my choosing. (which will be Brooks Falls, Katmai national park, next September.)

Disco Sausage1

Have they tried eating just nuts and berries?

Horizontalsrich1

Not for me, Lev. I'm trout.

KateW1

I had the fun of explaining Fat Bear Week to friends who didn't know about it.

SIMONE 🩷

@simonee.bsky.social

this sounds like a bit but it absolutely is not. i was having an absolutely horrible mental spiral and then i opened instagram and saw that this week is Fat Bear Week and it genuinely snapped me completely out of it. that’s how much i love Fat Bear Week

326h ago

Big Bad Butch WIFE, Baro Dyke Of Tipperary2

Holy shit literally same lmao

Marie Gardiner

@mariegardiner.bsky.social

Lads, the bad news is we're off walrus season now, but the good news is it's FAT BEAR WEEK 🐻

1716h ago

Owen

@owwenex.bsky.social

I’m no better than any of the fat bears during fat bear week the way I tear up some salmon at ayce sushi

1716h ago

Steph

@stephy.bsky.social

#FatBearWeek officially starts on Tuesday 🐻 "According to Katmai National Park and Preserve naturalist Mike Fitz, the brown bears have reached 'peak fat'" www.popsci.com/environment/...

820h ago

madeline odent

@oldenoughtosay.com

is this a bait photo for fat bear week or

112h ago

Serif

@deercompiler.bsky.social

Autumn is here and that means it's time for Degenerate Fat Bear Week 2026! I'm running the betting ring (for charity) this year, see details at: serifs.website/posts/fat_be...

56h ago

Touhin Panda🤍

@touhin.bsky.social

Footage of bear 901 at Katmai~Fat Bear Week starts this coming Tuesday~🐻

1023h ago

Tigburr : Pantry Punisher => MFF

@burnedoutparadise.bsky.social

Idk if I wanna post the thing right now but I did do my thing for Fat Bear Week

911h ago

Dr Rebecca Hall WakeProductions

@wakerevolt.bsky.social

Fat Bear week is fast approaching! I’m voting for Marshmallow. I always go for the underdog: katmaiconservancy.org/fatbearweek

619h ago

Jay

@jayroberttrop.bsky.social

Bringing back the music for this burr art. Happy fat bear week :3 #furryart #fatbearweek

43h ago

Mister Alex

@awp.christies.org.uk

I will fight anyone who tries to cancel fat bear week. Actual fisticuffs, time and place of my choosing. (which will be Brooks Falls, Katmai national park, next September.)

416h ago

❌👑 TIME TO FIGHT BACK

@timetofixit.bsky.social

That Bear is THICC.. Fat Bear Week has returned – and the salmon are swimming for their lives - The Guardian apple.news/ApvDzSQ9AQ3y...

314h ago

2 sources

popsci.comMama Bear #132 has one of Fat Bear Week's most compelling stories katmaiconservancy.orgKatmai Conservancy | About Fat Bear Week | Join the Conservation Celebration

Fat Bear Week returns, spotlight on Mama Bear #132nature Bird of the Day, theme 'Light And Shadow'nature

Fat Bear Week returns, spotlight on Mama Bear #132

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