Aptly named and a repeat winner, Bear 747 is the 2022 winner of the Katmai National Park and Preserve’s FatBearWeek contest, edging out the hefty runner up, Bear 901.
An online vote-stuffing scandal broke out earlier this week, and the National Park Service had to back out 7,000 votes for 747’s competitor in the semi-finals.
For the finals, 747 received 68,105 online votes, and 901 was second with 56,876 online votes.
As election skeptics point out, we may never really know which bear is the portliest, since the National Park Service collected the votes, counted the votes, backed out 7,000 votes in one round, and ultimately announced the winner without the checks and balance protocols. But one look at 747, and there’s no question he’s likely the fattest bear in Alaska.
