Fat Bear Week features a single-elimination tournament where the public votes online for the bear that demonstrates the most impressive weight gain as they feast on salmon. Voters can visit the “Meet the bears” section to compare photos and learn about each bear’s history. The bear with the most votes advances, culminating in the crowning of the Fat Bear Week champion on October 8th. Season 2023’s champion, Grazer, is now a new mom raising her first cub. If she retains her title, she will become the first mother bear to win the competition.
Over the past decade, Fat Bear Week has captured the hearts of wildlife enthusiasts and nature lovers around the globe. Since 2014, it has grown from a one-day event with 1,700 votes to a weeklong worldwide celebration with almost 1.4 million votes cast from more than 100 countries in 2023. Fat Bear Week is made possible through a partnership with Explore.org, a philanthropic organization that provides live streaming webcams of bears fishing for salmon at Brooks River. This initiative is further supported by Katmai Conservancy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to preserving the natural beauty and wildlife of Katmai National Park. Together, they bring the remarkable world of these bears to audiences everywhere.
“Fat Bear Week is an election in which every candidate is fit for office,” says explore.org’s founder Charlie Annenberg. “The bears have demonstrated their credibility through hard work, skill, and the growth of their waistline. Each aims to achieve the same goal—surviving winter hibernation. They all are worthy of our respect and admiration.”
Voters can also support Katmai’s bears by donating to the Katmai Conservancy’s Otis Fund, where all donations will be matched by Explore.org from October 2 -13, 2024. In addition to voting, there are live Fat Bear Week events hosted by park rangers and other experts.
SOURCE explore.org
