Fat Bear Week 2025 Launches Early Due to Salmon Abundance

Katmai National Park, Alaska — The famous brown bears of Katmai National Park are gearing up for an early start to Fat Bear Week 2025, fueled by an unusually plentiful salmon run. The annual contest, where online voters choose the most rotund bear preparing for hibernation, will begin on September 23, a week ahead of its usual schedule.

“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, in an email to NPR. “As a result, the brown bears of Katmai are well-nourished and looking for other things to do besides scrapping with each other for food.”

Fat Bear Week will feature popular contenders such as 128 Grazer, 480 Otis, and 747, who is estimated to weigh a staggering 1,400 pounds. The single-elimination tournament runs from September 23-30, culminating in the crowning of a new champion. Junior bears will also have a chance to shine in the Fat Bear Junior competition, which started last Thursday.

Last year, over a million votes came from more than 100 countries to support the competing bears. The park’s live “bearcams” provide round-the-clock viewing of the bears as they play and fish in the Brooks River and surrounding areas.

Compared to 2024, this year’s salmon abundance has led to decreased fighting among the bears. “This year there was less congregating at Brooks Falls, less fighting, and — astonishingly — noticeably more playtime with each other,” Johnson noted.

One bear to watch this year is Chunk, who arrived at the river with a broken jaw and other injuries, likely from a skirmish. Now, he has adapted by fishing and even engaging gently with younger bears. “Still here. Still fishing. Still Chunk,” said a representative from the park who operates the webcams.

Fat Bear Week originated in 2014 to educate the public about the brown bears, sockeye salmon, and the rich ecosystem they inhabit. As summer progresses into fall, bears like Chunk gain weight from the myriad foods they can find in the park. According to the park, large males typically exceed 1,000 pounds, making for a visually engaging tournament.

Sarah Bruce, media team lead at Katmai, says around 80-100 bears return to Brooks River yearly, learning vital fishing skills from their mothers. Only 12 bears will be featured in this year’s Fat Bear Week competition, part of an estimated population of 2,200 bears within the park’s boundaries.