KATMAI NATIONAL PARK, Alaska — A national nature competition kicked off on Tuesday, bringing together people from across the country.

Fat Bear Week 2025 started on Sept. 23 and runs through Sept. 30, with voting open each day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. The competition happens every year and highlights Alaskan bears getting ready for hibernation.

EXPLORE.org , who runs Fat Bear Week, says voters should choose "the bear you believe best exemplifies fatness and success in brown bears". The bear with the most votes then advances to the next round, eventually crowning a Fat Bear Week champion.

EXPLORE.org also says that an increase in food supply has led to an even better competition.

"More than 50 million salmon returned to Alaska's Bristol Bay in 2025," EXPLORE said. "More foo

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