Backpack Bear Wins Alaska's Fat Bear Week After Narrow Vote

Backpack, a 20-year-old brown bear that often rests on a rock along the Brooks River in Katmai National Park, was declared the winner of this year’s Fat Bear Week competition, edging out the female bear nicknamed Dancing Queen by roughly 5,000 votes. The public voting contest, which highlights the bears’ ability to gain weight by feeding on salmon before winter, attracted more than 2.3 million votes overall, with over 200,000 cast in the final round.

The victory follows a family legacy; Backpack’s mother, Holly—known to fans as the Queen of Corpulence—won the title in 2015. The competition, which pits 16 of the park’s largest bears against each other in a knockout format, has grown in participation each year despite a voting irregularity discovered in 2022.

U.S. Interior Department officials posted congratulations on social media, referring to Backpack as the newly crowned champion. Katmai park ranger Sarah Bruce said Backpack, identified as Bear 89 and estimated at 1,200 lb (544 kg), has been visible on live cameras since they were installed in 2012, building a loyal following among viewers. She noted that the bear regularly fishes for salmon and has recovered from a serious leg injury sustained in 2007.

The runner-up, Bear 910, is informally called Dancing Queen because of her head-movement while fishing; her mother also previously won the contest. Bruce added that the bears’ success is measured by the weight they gain over the summer, which helps ensure they survive the upcoming winter hibernation.