Fat Bear Week, the beloved annual wildlife conservation event, returns for its 10th anniversary from 2-8 October 2024. In partnership with Katmai National Park, the Katmai Conservancy, and Explore.org, the event highlights the extraordinary transformation of brown bears at Brooks River, Alaska, as they bulk up for their winter hibernation.
Fat Bear Week, which has gained a global following, invites the public to participate in an online voting tournament. The competition showcases the bears’ impressive weight gain as they feast on salmon in preparation for the harsh Alaskan winter. Each day of the single-elimination tournament, voters can visit the “Meet the Bears” section to learn about each bear’s history and compare photos of their transformations. The bear with the most votes advances, culminating in the crowning of the 2024 Fat Bear Week champion on 8 October.
Last year’s winner, a bear named Grazer, now has a new cub to care for and is aiming to retain her title. Should she win again, Grazer would make history as the first mother bear to claim the championship twice. The event has steadily grown in popularity, with almost 1.4 million votes cast from over 100 countries during the 2023 edition, a significant increase from the initial one-day event in 2014, which attracted just 1,700 votes.
Explore.org, a philanthropic organisation that streams live footage of the bears fishing at Brooks River via webcams, plays a crucial role in bringing Fat Bear Week to the public. The Katmai Conservancy, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to preserving Katmai National Park’s unique wildlife and natural beauty, also supports the event. This collaboration has helped make the competition a celebration for wildlife enthusiasts worldwide.
“Fat Bear Week is an election in which every candidate is fit for office,” said Charlie Annenberg, founder of Explore.org. “The bears have proven their worth through their hard work, fishing skills, and remarkable weight gain. Ultimately, they all have the same goal—surviving the winter months—and they are each deserving of admiration.”
Fat Bear Week has captured the imaginations of people from across the globe, raising awareness about the importance of wildlife conservation in Alaska’s national parks. Beyond the tournament, the public can contribute by donating to the Katmai Conservancy’s Otis Fund, a campaign set up to support the preservation of the bears and their habitat. Explore.org has pledged to match all donations made to the Otis Fund between 2-13 October 2024.
For those keen to dive deeper into the lives of the Katmai bears, live Fat Bear Week events will be hosted by park rangers and other wildlife experts. These sessions offer a chance to learn more about the bears’ habitat, behaviour, and the challenges they face as they prepare for hibernation.
Fat Bear Week has become more than just an entertaining contest – it is a celebration of nature, a reminder of the resilience of these remarkable animals, and a powerful call to support wildlife conservation efforts.
Voting and donation details can be found on the official Fat Bear Week website. Voters can also support Katmai’s bears by donating to the Katmai Conservancy’s Otis Fund, where all donations will be matched by Explore.org from October 2 -13, 2024. In addition to voting, there are live Fat Bear Week events hosted by park rangers and other experts.
