Fat Bear Week 2026 concluded with a new champion, as bear 519, a female brown bear, was crowned the winner at Katmai National Park in Alaska. The final vote saw 519 defeat the two-time winner, bear 32, also known as Chunk, by a narrow margin of 519 votes.
Close Final Vote
The contest, which ran from Wednesday to Tuesday, drew more than 1.3 million votes from around the world. In the championship round, 519 received 70,927 votes, while Chunk, who had won the title in 2022 and 2023, garnered 70,408 votes.
This was 519's first Fat Bear Week victory, after finishing as a runner-up in previous years. Chunk, a dominant male, was seeking his third title, but fell just short in the closest final in the contest's history.
Celebrating Fat Bears
Fat Bear Week is an annual event organized by Katmai National Park and the nonprofit Explore.org, which uses live webcams to showcase the bears of Brooks River as they fatten up for hibernation. The contest aims to highlight the bears' preparation for the long winter months, when they can lose up to a third of their body weight.
Park rangers and biologists have noted that 519, who is believed to be in her late teens, has been particularly successful this year in catching salmon, which has contributed to her impressive size. The victory is seen as a testament to her foraging skills and the health of the park's ecosystem.
Looking Ahead
The win concludes the 2026 edition of the contest, which has grown in popularity since its inception, drawing attention to the park and its wildlife. The bears will continue to feed and grow until they enter their dens for the winter, with the next Fat Bear Week expected to take place in 2027.
