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

natureSep 22, 20261253,904

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.

Ramzi (He/Him)

@king-ramzi.bsky.social

ITS THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN! Many bears like Tay have been packing on the pounds ready for winter. 🐻💜🐾 Dont forget to Vote for your fave fat bear and support explore.org/fat-bear-week Who's your fave bear this year? (Walker and Backpack are looing VERY hefty)

A Coloured sketch image of a huge fat brown bear gulping down a big salmon from the river they are sat in. Created by RAMZI for Fat bear week 2026.

47817d ago

Karlisle3

"Hey Tay, looking to win fat bear week this year?" Tay: "Win what?"

Torrent 🐀1

AAHHHHHH this is amazing, holy cow Tay looks so huge! And the way that fish is going down his gullet! Forever my fat bear champion, haha :3

Snack Squirrel1

Dang, what a lucky fish.

🏳️‍🌈Sin Lucy🏳️‍⚧️1

So big and beautiful 😍

Mireto1

What a cute chubby bear and happy week :3

Gupperz1

Hiburrnation ready! (Also the website needs to stop going down for voting xD)

wren 🐻 on VGen!

@lunarvvrens.bsky.social

Happy fat bear week 🐻 Much love to fat bears of all kinds! #furry #art #furryart #bear

Digital drawing of my black bear fursona

30518d ago

wren 🐻 on VGen!7

I like this time because it brings out the gay big boy kind of bears and I think it's fun, BUT first and foremost it's about brown bears and their lives in the wild! It's a good time to read up and learn about these majestic beasts! Voting opens soon at explore.org/fat-bear-week ! 🐻

𝑪𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒅 🍂1

Tis the season!! 🐻 Can’t wait to see which bear gets crowned as the biggest this year hihi

evil.

@shewantabigdog.bsky.social

fat bear week drive. updating throughout the week (dont hold me to this one but also hold me to this one) lets do this 👀

20518d ago

pilesofcattysdust 🔞1

hes gonna be immobile by the time this ends ough

Orange Alpha Keet

@pupdrake.bsky.social

fat bear week, going for the win this year 👀🐻

18417d ago

Nancy Reagan's Throat Double

@c3nric.bsky.social

I was changing my tshirt at work and I just...really liked how my body looked in that lighting. 🫣 Fat bear week, amirite?

15417d ago

Falleb 🍂1

Something about you leaning forward like that too 😵‍💫

Eligio Sybil1

Goddamn. I need my face smothered by your chest please. 🤤🥵

Popular Science

@popsci.com

Popular Science is dedicated to keeping you informed about the latest advancements across technology, physics, and engineering. Also bear butts. Seriously. Just LOOK at dat thing. www.popsci.com/environment/...

11217d ago

Patricia2

I’ve a black bear momma that is built like a tank. I kid you not but she is super gentle around me. She is a New England bear.

Quoting this

Virtual Auggie12

"Yo mama bears butt is so big when she sits around the national park, she sits AROUND the national park!"

Susan Walker7

This Walker is not a relation. Any resemblance in the hip area is purely coincidental.

Weltschmerz, The Musical 🧿6

Oh thank goodness. Living vicariously through chonky bears.

[sad beep] acerbic otter3

"Oh my G*d, Becky, look at her butt"

Kumo (he is what that smell is)

@sum0kum0.bsky.social

Fat bear week? What are you insinuating?! Huh?! Pic done by the fat bear wrangler @yogeh.bsky.social

9817d ago

✨Guie🔜MFF✨1

Oh yeah that's him... That's the fat bear🫵🏾😲

Targrus1

Insinuating? Sir, we're simply calling a bear a bear. A fat one.

explore.org

@explore.org

Today, we had our biggest Fat Bear Week day 1 turnout of all time and experienced some system overload. If you already voted today, your vote still counts. If you didn't get a chance, don't worry: Day 1 voting will restart tomorrow, Wednesday September 23rd.

8617d ago

Cbrady5

Congrats on the popularity you’ve achieved & viewer participation, hopefully all those people made a donation to the Otis Fund. Also kudo’s to your IT department, I know it’s been a harrowing day for you.

Quoting this

Evan Bernick, a finite mode with a smol hooman and a lorg floof25

bears so fat they broke the fat bear contest

David Brody2

If you are in line to vote for fat bears, stay in line!

Urine Trouble2

Quick question will eating a lot of salmon do this to my ass too?

Eazy_EHonda (Pavlo the Bear) 🔜 MFF

@eazyehonda.bsky.social

Day 2 of Fat Bear Week, and looks like Pavlo has let his shirt slip a bit. He knows the people love his big bear belly and is more than happy to show it off! Art done by the awesome @bearafterall.bsky.social who draws fantastic burrs.

9117d ago

The DracoManGamer (BIRTHDAY ON OCT 11) | (ON ART HIATUS)2

That's a big chubby boi right there 💛

MultiBurst2

Looks like it wants some rubs

Emma Evans

@trance.bsky.social

Okay everything sucks and the world is on fire so I need to get hyped for FAT BEAR WEEK Who are we liking this year

9117d ago

Stephanie goes by Stephanie4

All of them (except 806, I’m mad at her)

The Magnificent Skinbag2

fucking YES! FAT BEAR WEEK TIME! FAT BEAR WEEK! FAT BEAR WEEK! FAT BEAR WEEK!

⚧ Andi Jay is (gonna be) OK ↙︎↙︎↙︎2

I do not regret that I have retired from Fat Bear Week as a participant, but I must admit the accolades were lovely. ^_^

CJ the Awkward1

I think for her makes Bucky is looking really good. For the females, maybe 910? How do they get names?

Quoting this

Grim Flandango4

As a fat bear myself, I approve this message.

Vickie 😷2

We have been watching these bears get fat all summer...our first year for doing that, it's been interesting and fun. So, we are hyped for FAT BEAR week. #bringit

Ty Fox

@tyfoxface.bsky.social

I don't usually post art on here, but in honor of Fat Bear Week, I suppose I'll post myself as, well, a fat bear 🎨: @rashishibe.wolfbear.club

8018d ago

Bluep2

Looks like you've got all the bear necessities

TheMikeFox1

He looks so soft! <3

Tutzah, Snug and Bearly Awake

@tutzah.bsky.social

Oh its fat bear week! Im doing them justice today 🥰

8518d ago

Rex Huppke

@rexhuppke.bsky.social

It’s possible I wrote a column for tomorrow that talks about Fat Bear Week and the high cost of beef and…well, it might include the words “succulent” and “bear burgers.” But I want to make clear I’m not suggesting we eat the fat bears. I’m just batting some ideas around. Everybody be cool.

9718d ago