Bear 89, affectionately nicknamed “Backpack”, has been crowned in Katmai National Park and Preserve’s annual competition for fattest bear.

The Alaskan national park announced the winner on September 29, after a week of gruelling brackets. Backpack narrowly beat out a female bear, “Bear 910”, for the title, with a little over 5000 vote difference.

More than 2.5 million ballots were cast this year, in total, with the final vote accumulating 103,344 in Backpack’s favour. Last year, there were 1.7 million ballots cast, contributing to 32 Chunk’s victory. The jump in votes can be attributed to an additional four bears in the tournament, forming a 16 bear competition, rather than the previous 12.

Only bears that reside in the park are considered, and bears are generally included in the competition based on their regular presence at Brooks River.

The contest is in its twelfth year, with the competition having begun by Katmai National Park and Preserve in 2014. The intention of the competition has been to raise awareness about the over 2000 brown bears in the park, which spans across the Alaska Peninsula.

Fat Bear Week was created in an effort to raise awareness about the bears of the park. On its website, the park writes, “Brown bears get fat to survive. Fat Bear Week is an annual tournament celebrating their success in preparation for winter hibernation.”

The competition is centred on a small stretch of the Brooks River, primarily Brooks Falls. Earnest bear fans eagerly watch bear cams, run live by partner explore.org, to witness the fights, the feelings and the feasting on sockeye salmon. Explore.org is also where bear-fans can vote.

Backpack is the son of Fat Bear Week royalty, with his mother, Holly, winning in 2019, becoming the first female bear to win, and she was, at the time, the third bear to win following Otis and Beadnose.

As a cub, Backpack would cling to his mother’s back when they swam in the river, inspiring his nickname. He was a notable cub due to a significant leg injury in his youth, but care from his mother ensured his recovery.

Unlike other male bears, Backpack is noted for his calm demeanour, with the park noting, “he prefers to use a quiet strength,” and how “he hasn’t shown much aggression toward his competitors.”

The bears will enter into hibernation around October and November, relying on stored fat to last them the entire winter.

Image source: Explore.org