Fat Bear Week kicks off with a chubby cub showdown

Summer is officially over, which means it’s time to judge how well everyone’s favorite brown bears bulked up as they head into the colder seasons.
Every year, the biggest bears at Katmai National Park & Preserve in Alaska go head-to-head in the Fat Bear Week competition, with one chunky bear being crowned the champion.
People vote on the brown bear they “believe best exemplifies fatness,” according to Explore.org, which hosts the competition alongside Katmai National Park.
Though voting for the single elimination tournament doesn’t start until Oct. 2, fans of Fat Bear Week can celebrate early by voting in Fat Bear Junior — a tournament between some of the brown bears’ cubs.
This year, four cubs who fattened up over the summer will face off in a bracket, with voting beginning Thursday, Sept. 26.
The competitors include 806′s yearling, a second-year male cub and last year’s Fat Bear Junior winner.
Going up against 806′s yearling is 909 Jr — the 2022 Fat Bear Junior champion, who is ready to take back her crown. She is nearly 4 years old
Meanwhile, 910′s 2.5-year-old is facing off against 128′s Spring Cub, a first-year cub of last year’s Fat Bear Week winner, 128 Grazer.
The spring cub is an “emotional favorite” this year, The Associated Press reports. The cub’s sibling died this summer after it slipped off a small waterfall toward an aggressive adult bear named Chunk, who then attacked. “Grazer fought Chunk in an effort to save the cub, but it later died,” per the AP.
In order to vote for your favorite chubby cub, visit explore.org/fat-bear-week.
Next, for each open poll, click the photo of the bear you prefer. You will need to enter your email and click “I am not a robot” to have your vote counted.
Voting for Fat Bear Junior begins Sept. 26 at 10 a.m. MDT. The finals will take place the following day.
The fat bear festivities will continue with Fat Bear Week contestants being announced on Sept. 30, followed by online voting between Oct. 2-8.