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Fat Bear Week: Who Will Be Crowned the Fattest Bear in Alaska?
Colorado Parks and Wildlife said Summit County black bears are still building reserves as drought worsens food shortages and 294 bears were euthanized in the first eight months of 2026.
- Fat Bear Week has returned for its 13th year, pitting Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve grizzly bears against each other in a bracket-style tournament celebrating weight gain before hibernation.
- But Fat Bear Week has yet to reach Colorado's High Country, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, as this year's drought has made it harder for Summit County bears to find adequate food.
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife euthanized 294 bears in the first eight months of 2026, compared to 83 in 2025. Brad Banulis, a senior terrestrial biologist, noted the state lacks the plentiful salmon found in Alaska's Brooks River.
- Younger bears are hunting for food sooner than normal, and drought conditions are forcing some into hibernation earlier to conserve resources, Banulis said. Summit County's bears remain far behind Alaska's in weight gain.
- Park Superintendent Mark Sturm said there are more cubs at Brooks Camp this year than in a long time, with a new generation of fat bears taking shape before the Sept. 29 championship crowning.
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29 Articles
29 Articles
It may be Fat Bear Week in Alaska, but Summit County’s bears haven’t yet reached their heaviest weights of the season
Tuesday, Sept. 22 marked the first day of this year’s Fat Bear Week, an annual competition based out of Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve. For over a decade, the competition has pinned Katmai’s heaviest grizzly bears — some weighing up to 1,200 pounds — against each other in a bracket-style competition. Each year, the competition is held when the bears are at their fattest — just before they enter hibernation. But Fat Bear Week has ye…
In autumn, it's for Alaska's brown bears: increase what the stuff holds. The bear with the largest padding is chosen.
·Zürich, Switzerland
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The fatter the bear, the better prepared it is for winter.
Coverage Details
Total News Sources29
Leaning Left5Leaning Right7Center16Last UpdatedBias Distribution57% Center
Bias Distribution
- 57% of the sources are Center
57% Center
L 18%
C 57%
R 25%
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