A bear known to observers as "Backpack" was declared the winner of Fat Bear Week on Thursday, taking top honours in a contest that draws attention to brown bears as they bulk up for the long winter months.
Fat Bear Week is a public-facing event that celebrates the survival strategies of the region’s brown bears, showcasing how individuals put on weight in preparation for hibernation. Organisers and participants say the competition helps raise awareness of the animals’ life cycle and the ecological importance of healthy coastal feeding grounds.
The animals featured in the contest live in a preserve on the Alaska Peninsula that supports an estimated 2,200 brown bears. The concentration of bears in the area, and their seasonal feeding habits, make the site a focal point for wildlife monitoring and public education about bear ecology and conservation.
Winners of Fat Bear Week typically become symbols for broader efforts to protect habitats and maintain the conditions that allow bears to thrive. The contest, while light-hearted in tone, is part of a wider effort to engage the public with wildlife issues and the natural rhythms that sustain large mammal populations in the far north.