Bear 26 is making its first-ever Fat Bear Week appearance.
Bear 32 Chunk was a Fat Bear Week finalist in both 2023 and 2024.
Bear 99 is approximately 10 years old.
Bear 128 is the 2023 Fat Bear Week champion.
Bear 128 Jr. is the yearling of Bear 128.
Bear 503 is at an age of peak size and strength.
Bear 602 is making its first-ever Fat Bear Week appearance.
Bear 609 was the 2022 Fat Bear Junior Champion
Bear 856 is one of the largest bears in the river.
Bear 901's fur changes from golden brown to grizzled brown during the summer.
Bear 909 is the daughter of the 2018 February week champion Beadnose.
Bear 910 is Bear 909's sister.

From chunky cuties to thick teddies, these brown bears from Brooks River in Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska spent all summer chomping down on salmon to compete in this year's annual Fat Bear Week.

The contest, in which bears vie for votes to win the portly crown, is headquartered on the edge of the park in King Salmon, about 290 miles southwest of Anchorage.

After a summer-long effort, the bears reached what they hoped to be peak plumpness, as the single-elimination tournaments begin Wednesday, Sept. 24. For each match-up, contestants vote for the bear they believe "best exemplifies fatness and success in brown bears," officials wrote on the contest website.

The bears, set to hibernate later this year, with the most votes, advance to the next round, with only one crowned Fat Bear Week champion. But which beauty will the internet crown as the 2025 fat bear king or queen?

Who are the Fat Bear Contestants?

Here are the Fat Bear Week 2025 contestants.

26

  • Arrived at Brookes River with a new litter this year
  • Believed to be the daughter of former Fat Bear Week winner 435 Holly
  • First Fat Bear Week appearance

32 Chunk

  • Observed devouring 42 salmon in 10 hours.
  • One of the largest and most dominant bears.
  • Has a distinctive scar across his muzzle

99

  • First-ever Fat Bear Week appearance
  • Has milk chocolate colored fur in late summer
  • Bear with potential, approximately 10 years old

128 Grazer

  • 2023 Fat Bear Week champion.
  • Highly defensive mother who delivered two first-year cubs in 2024.
  • In July 2024, one of Grazer's cubs died after being injured by 32 Chunk. Grazer showed courage when defending her cubs.

128 Jr.

  • The yearling of Bear 128
  • Large and tall-bodied female cub
  • Has a prominent shoulder hump

503

  • Large and tall adult male
  • Will displace other bears from fishing spots when necessary
  • At an age of peak size and strength

602

  • First-ever Fat Bear Week appearance
  • Large adult male bear
  • Reminds visitors of Homer Simpson relaxing in a pool when lounging on the river

609

  • Approximately five-year-old female bear
  • 2022 Fat Bear Junior champion
  • Large for her age

856

  • Large male, approximately 23 years old.
  • One of the largest bears in the river.
  • Highly ranked within the bear hierarchy.

901

  • Medium-sized and fat adult female
  • Changes from golden brown fur to grizzled brown fur during summer
  • Approximately 9.5 years old

909

  • Daughter of the 2018 February week champion Beadnose.
  • Commonly seen catching salmon.
  • Known for practicing self-care.

910

  • Sister of bear 909
  • Large adult female
  • Could have a new litter of cubs this winter

When is Fat Bear Week?

Fat Bear Week 2025 runs Tuesday, Sept 23-30.

This year marks more than a decade since Fat Bear Week began. The annual contest started in 2014.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fat Bear Week 2025 Bracket: Meet the contestants

Reporting by Natalie Neysa Alund and Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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