Every year Katmai National Park and preserve in Alaska holds a voting competition like no other. 

This competition is strenuous and looks across the national park to find a very special bear…a very, fat bear. 

Fat bear week is an online voting contest; where individuals can discover more about the awesome bears in Katmai National Park and get the chance to vote on the bear, they think is the biggest. The voting time frame usually spans between Oct. 2 and Oct. 8, and there is a winner every year. 

The results are finally in, and this year’s fat bear champion is no other than (number 128) also known as Grazer. Katmai national park provides more information on the 2024 champion. 

“Grazer has become one of the best anglers at Brooks River. She can fish successfully in many locations including the lip, far pool, and plunge pools of Brooks Falls. She can chase down fleeing salmon in many parts of the river or patiently scavenge dead and dying salmon after they spawn. 128 will also fish overnight at Brooks Falls.” 

The bears are getting ready for the annual hibernation periods during the harsh winter months in Alaska. Around January through November, brown bears need to gain weight to survive their long winter’s rest. For these animals, gaining weight is not just something casual to do, it is literally a decision of life and death. The weight they gain during their foraging periods is what they will live off during hibernation. 

During these high intake periods, bears will have a wide diversity in their diet. Things they eat could include anything from mushrooms, berries, small game or even moose. However, the main course that is often on these bears’ menu is salmon, in fact most brown bears can consume 30-45 salmon a day! 

These bears need to make sure they are obtaining enough fat to last them through the harsh and long winter. For female brown bears the amount of fat on their bodies could also affect the health of their cubs as well. Brown bear cubs are born between late January and early February, and their mothers fat content has a direct effect on the quantity of milk she can provide for her cubs. 

This year’s fat bear champion is not only excellent at gaining necessary weight, but she is also an expert mother as well. Katmai national parked explained, “128 (Grazer) is a particularly defensive mother bear who has successfully raised two litters of cubs. She often preemptively confronts and attacks much larger bears—even large and dominant adult males—to ensure her cubs are safe.” 

Surviving in the wild is always tough, there are obstacles around every corner for wildlife. I think it is remarkable however to take a step back, to make a connection, and really admire the changes wildlife will go through to survive.