Backpack Wins Alaska’s Fat Bear Week After Receiving Over 100,000 Votes

Backpack, identified as Bear 89, secured the Fat Bear Week title in Katmai National Park and Preserve after receiving more than 100,000 votes, narrowly defeating Bear 910 in the final round. The nonprofit organization that runs the 12-year-old contest announced the result on Tuesday following the close of online voting.

The single-elimination tournament featured 16 brown bears from the Brooks River area, where the animals feed on abundant salmon to build fat reserves for winter hibernation. The public could view the competitors via livestream cameras before casting votes on the event’s website.

"Fat bears are successful bears," the organization’s website states.

Backpack, the son of former champion Holly, earned the nickname for climbing onto his mother’s back while swimming as a cub. According to his contestant profile, he has shown little aggression toward other bears, relying on a calm demeanor rather than physical confrontations.

Bear 910, the daughter of a previous champion, was the runner-up. Adult male brown bears in the region typically weigh 600 to 900 pounds in midsummer and can exceed 1,000 pounds after a salmon-rich feeding season, while females are about one-third smaller.

The competition also highlighted five bear families, reflecting a record number of cubs at the river this summer. Mother bears must balance feeding themselves and protecting their offspring, which can be vulnerable to attacks from other bears.

Backpack’s victory adds to the growing public interest in the annual event, which aims to educate viewers about brown bear ecology and the importance of seasonal fat accumulation.