Fat Bear Week 2026 has officially started, with 16 brown bears competing in the popular annual event at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska. What began in 2014 as a one-day celebration of bears gaining weight for winter has evolved into a single-elimination tournament with a bracket that expanded from last year’s 12 competitors. The defending champion, Chunk, is among the contenders. Voting for the competition runs from Tuesday, Sept. 22, through Sept. 29, with online voting available between 12 and 9 p.m. ET each day. In 2025, the event received over 1.7 million votes from more than 100 countries, according to the National Park Service. Viewers can watch the competition through a series of livestreams on Explore.org, a multimedia organization that partners with the National Park Service. Live cameras are set up at Katmai National Park and Preserve, especially along Brooks Falls, a popular spot where brown bears are often seen fishing and resting. Park rangers also host online talks and Q&A sessions to answer audience questions about the bears and their behavior. Mike Fitz, a resident naturalist at Explore.org, explained that the bears have reached "peak fat" after consuming salmon, berries, and other foods throughout the summer. This fat is crucial for the bears to survive the long winter hibernation, during which they can go four to six months without eating. Park officials noted an increase in the number of cubs at Brooks Camp this year, with more than 100 different bears identified at Brooks River through webcams so far. The 16 contenders for Fat Bear Week 2026 include Chunk, the defending champion, who has recovered from a broken jaw sustained last year. Other notable competitors include 89 Backpack, known for his blond ears; 151 Walker, with a pear-shaped body; 164 Bucky, who has grown big after discovering a fishing spot at Brooks Falls; 903 Gully, who is known for chasing and eating gulls along Brooks River; 132, a large and experienced mama bear raising three cubs; 284 Electra, who is competing against one of her cubs, 901, while raising two spring cubs; and several other bears with unique stories and characteristics. Each bear’s journey to "peak fat" and their strategies for survival are part of the event’s appeal, drawing global attention from nature enthusiasts and casual viewers alike.