The brown bears of Katmai National Park and Preserve are bulking up, and the world is eagerly watching as preparations for Fat Bear Week 2025 ramp up. This annual celebration, taking place from September 23 to September 30, invites fans from around the globe to vote for the chubbiest bear, ultimately crowning the champion of pre-hibernation weight gain. The National Park Service, along with explore.org, organizes this wildlife spectacle.
Fat Bear Week showcases the incredible transformation of bears as they indulge in salmon from the Brooks River, gaining weight to prepare for the long Alaskan winter. Live webcams streaming from Brooks Falls allow viewers to observe fan favorites such as Otis, Grazer, and Chunk as they fish and pack on the pounds. The event features a bracket-style tournament in which the bears compete head-to-head for public votes. The structure of the tournament is expected to be announced in late September, generating excitement across social media platforms like X.
You can join the fun and tune in to live bear cams and cast votes through official channels:
Katmai National Park Website: www.nps.gov/katm – Offers event details, bear profiles, and voting instructions. Webcams can be viewed at this link: Katmai Fat Bear Webcams
Explore.org, offers bear profiles and detailed instructions for voting.
Fat Bear Week page: https://explore.org/fat-bear-week. This page includes live webcams, updates on the tournament bracket, and options for interactive voting.
Voting is free and open to all, with ballots typically submitted online during the weeklong event. The 2025 lineup will showcase both experienced contenders and exciting newcomers, sparking enthusiasm on social media about who will win this year’s title.
As preparations progress, Katmai officials urge fans to participate early by watching the live cameras and sharing their favorite bear moments on social media.
For the latest updates, visit
www.nps.gov/katm or www.explore.org/fat-bear-week. Join the conversation on X to support your favorite bear, and stay tuned for the upcoming bracket reveal to see which bear will be crowned the fattest of 2025.
Brenda Josephson is a board member of Alaska Gold Communications, Inc., the publisher of Must Read Alaska. You can contact her via email at [email protected].