Fat Bear Week 2026 begins, 16 contenders including Chunk and Bucky

Katmai National Park and Preserve opened Fat Bear Week 2026 with a 16-bear single-elimination bracket that expanded from 12 last year. Defending champion Chunk is entered despite last year’s broken jaw and is described as healed and ready to defend his title. Voting runs each day from Sept. 22 through Sept. 29, open online between 12 and 9 p.m. ET, and viewers can follow bears on Explore.org livestreams, including cameras at Brooks Falls where bears catch salmon. Explore.org naturalist Mike Fitz said the bears have reached "peak fat" after summer feeding, and park ranger Troy Hunt noted brown bears can fast for four to six months during hibernation. Park officials reported more than 100 different bears identified at Brooks River this year and a rise in cubs, prompting Park Superintendent Mark Sturm to highlight a new generation of fat bears. Notable 2026 contenders named in the bracket include Chunk, 89 Backpack, 151 Walker, 164 Bucky, 903 Gully and 132, with Gully singled out for chasing and eating gulls along Brooks River.