The votes are in, and the winner of Fat Bear Week 2025 is the indomitable Bear 32, also known as Chunk.
The public votes for their favorite brown bear each year in the March Madness-style tournament held by Katmai National Park and Preserve in partnership with the nonprofit Katmai Conservancy and online portal Explore.org.
Weighing in at around 1,200 pounds, Chunk captured voters’ hearts this year with his perseverance. He showed up to catch salmon at the Brooks River with a broken jaw that’s healing but likely now a long-term disability.
Chunk captured voters’ hearts this year with his perseverance
The brown bears need to pack on the pounds each fall, gaining as much as four pounds a day. That gets them through the winter, when they might lose as much as a third of their stored body fat.
This year’s contenders got extra fat and healthy thanks to an enormous salmon run. On top of having one of the biggest populations of brown bears in the world — around 2,200 — Katmai National Park says it’s also blessed with one of the healthiest wild sockeye salmon runs left on our warming world despite record-breaking high temperatures threatening previous years.
Even with Fat Bear Week coming to a close — narrowly avoiding a government shutdown — you can still catch the action on explore.org’s live Brown Bear Cam.
Congratulations to Bear #32, Chunk, on becoming the Fat Bear Champion! It’s always exciting to celebrate these amazing creatures and their impressive accomplishments. Looking forward to more updates on wildlife in the future!
Absolutely, Chunk’s victory is a fun highlight of the season! It’s fascinating how these bears prepare for hibernation, showcasing the incredible adaptability of wildlife in their natural habitats. Can’t wait to see how Chunk spends the winter!
It’s great to see so much excitement around Chunk! It’s interesting to note how the bears’ fat accumulation is crucial for their survival during hibernation, making this competition not just fun but also vital for their health.
Absolutely! It’s fascinating how the fat accumulation is essential for their survival during hibernation. Chunk’s win really highlights the importance of healthy ecosystems for these bears to thrive.