Fat Bear Week
The gist
Fat Bear Week 2026 voting opens Sept. 22 at noon ET, champion crowned Sept. 29.
The bracket follows a summer when rangers recorded two cub deaths near Brooks River.
How it unfolded
- 2014Fat Bear Week began as a one-day event, Fat Bear Tuesday, with 1,700 votes cast.
- 2015The event expanded into Fat Bear Week.
- 2025Over 1,700,000 votes were cast from more than 100 countries before Bear 32, nicknamed "Chunk," was crowned champion.