Alaska’s Fat Bear Week 2025 Has Its King And He Earned Every Bite
Every fall, the internet basically melts into one giant bear hug, and for good reason.
It’s Fat Bear Week, the one time of year when we all get to cheer on Alaska’s brown bears as they stuff themselves with salmon and prepare for winter.
It’s messy, it’s funny, and honestly, it’s the kind of wholesome chaos we all need. And guess what? The 2025 champion has officially been crowned!
After a week of wild fan votes, fish feasts, and serious fluff, one bear came out on top: Chunk.
If you’re new to Fat Bear Week, picture something like a mix between a reality show and a nature documentary, only everyone’s cheering for who can get the chubbiest.
Hosted by Alaska’s Katmai National Park, the contest lets fans from all over the world vote for their favorite bear as they bulk up for hibernation.
It’s not really about who looks the biggest; it’s about strength, determination, and survival.
This year’s showdown came down to two absolute legends: Chunk (Bear 32) and Bear 856, both seasoned veterans of Brooks River.
The competition was fierce, the bellies were huge, and when the votes finally closed, Chunk took the crown with more than 96,000 votes.
Katmai National Park celebrated on Facebook:
“And with that, your 2025 Fat Bear Week comes to an end. Thank you to everyone who has voted! For the first time ever, 32 “Chunk” takes home the gold- or should we say red (because of all the salmon he ate).”
But Chunk’s victory hits a little deeper this year. When he first showed up at Brooks River in early summer, he wasn’t exactly in top shape.
He had a broken jaw, likely from a fight over a mate, a serious injury for a wild bear that depends on catching fish to survive. No vets. No help. Just grit.
Yet somehow, he figured it out. Despite the odds, Chunk learned how to fish again, adapted his technique, and ended up thriving.
Watching him go from struggling to strong was like witnessing a little miracle in bear form.
Meanwhile, his rival Bear 856, an older, battle-scarred bear known for ruling the river for years, gave him a real run for his money. It truly felt like a heavyweight championship of the wilderness.
The event ran from September 23 to 30, and fans tuned in daily to Katmai’s live bear cams to watch the action unfold in real time.
There’s something oddly addictive about watching 1,000-pound bears catch salmon like pros, then waddle off for a nap.
Katmai National Park, which sits deep in Alaska and can only be reached by boat or plane, is home to around 2,200 brown bears. Here, getting fat isn’t about vanity; it’s literally a matter of survival.
Bears can lose up to one-third of their weight during hibernation, and for females, enough fat reserves can mean the difference between having cubs or not.
Of course, none of this would happen without the salmon. Katmai’s rivers host one of the world’s healthiest sockeye salmon runs, and these fish keep the bears and the whole ecosystem alive.
One bear can devour 40 salmon a day, which adds up to about 100,000 calories. It’s wild, but it’s nature working perfectly.
That’s why Fat Bear Week isn’t just a fun online event. It’s also a celebration of resilience, wildlife, and the fragile balance that keeps it all going.
So here’s to Chunk, the big, brave bear who turned a tough year into a comeback story for the ages. May his belly be full, his naps be long, and his legend live on until next Fat Bear Week rolls around.
