Fat Bear Week 2025 Starts Early Due to Salmon Abundance

KATMAI NATIONAL PARK, Alaska — Fat Bear Week is coming sooner than expected this year due to a massive salmon run. The popular online competition, which lets people vote for their favorite brown bear, will kick off on Sept. 23 and run until Sept. 30.

Officials from Katmai National Park announced that the bears are in excellent condition thanks to an extraordinary run of salmon, which has led to less aggression among the bears. “This year’s salmon run was extraordinary, with salmon numbers surpassing anything seen in recent memory,” said Matt Johnson, the park’s interpretation program manager. He added that the bears are well-nourished and looking for playtime instead of fighting over food.

This year’s contestants include familiar names like 128 Grazer, 480 Otis, and 747, who is estimated to weigh around 1,400 pounds. A new contender, Chunk, who recently arrived at the river with a broken jaw, is also turning heads. Despite his injury, Chunk has been seen fishing and playing gently with younger bears.

The Fat Bear Junior competition for bear cubs has already begun. In 2024, more than one million votes were cast for the bears from 100 countries. Notably, the abundance of salmon this year has led to a noticeable decrease in fighting among the bears, as opposed to the 2024 competition which had conflicts during voting.

Fat Bear Week, which started in 2014, was designed to raise awareness about the bears and their ecosystem. The event showcases how bears build fat reserves to survive the winter, with males often exceeding 1,000 pounds by fall. The park is home to an estimated 2,200 bears, with 80-100 returning to the Brooks River every year.

“There are only 12 bears selected for the competition each year,” said Sarah Bruce, media team lead at the park. Most bears learn to fish alongside their mothers as cubs, making their participation in the event a reflection of the vibrant ecosystem they share.