Bear #89 got his very appropriate nickname from his habit of riding his mother’s back through the Brooks River as a cub. That ...

It was the survival of the thickest during Fat Bear Week, but only one bear could be the winner of the National Park ...

After a week of fierce competition, Backpack emerged victorious as Fat Bear Week champion, the heftiest bear of Alaska’s ...

Voting for the annual beloved online showdown resumed Monday after breaking for the weekend. See the four remaining ...

His mama bear would be so proud.

A brown bear who once hitched rides on his mother’s back has come a long way since his cub days. Bear 89, better known as Backpack, has been crowned the 2026 Fat Bear Week champion at Alaska’s Katmai ...

Voters were split between bear 910 and 89 Backpack in the final round of the weeklong contest to see who is the chunkiest bear at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska.

The event this year featured 16 bears vying for the heavyweight title in a single-elimination, bracket-style tournament ...

This queen lives up to her name.

Backpack went from hitching a ride on his mom’s back to cross the Brooks River to winning the hearts of fat bear fans around ...

Bear 89 Backpack defeated Bear 910 by just over 5,000 votes in the Fat Bear Week 2026 final at Alaska's Katmai National Park ...

Fat Bear Week runs Sept. 22-29. The champion will be crowned on Sept. 29 after days of fan voting.