Chunk, a remarkable brown bear with a broken jaw, has claimed victory in this year’s Fat Bear Week competition, marking his first win after finishing as a runner-up for three consecutive years. The popular online contest, which engages viewers around the globe, showcases the lives of twelve bears in Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve. Participants can watch live feeds and vote in a bracket-style tournament that lasts for one week.
In the final round, Chunk, officially designated as Bear 32, triumphed over Bear 856, who does not have a nickname. According to totals posted on the contest organizers’ website, Chunk’s weight was estimated at a substantial 540 kg. Although individual bears are not weighed during the competition due to safety concerns, organizers have previously utilized laser technology known as LIDAR to scan the bears’ density and provide weight estimates.
Chunk’s Journey to Victory
Mike Fitz, a naturalist for explore.org, remarked on Chunk’s resilience, stating, “Despite his broken jaw, he remains one of the biggest, baddest bears at Brooks River.” Fitz explained that Chunk likely sustained his injury during a confrontation with another bear, underscoring the fierce competition for resources in the wild. Each summer, bears at Brooks Falls compete for prime fishing locations, where salmon congregate and struggle upstream to spawn.
The Fat Bear Week competition, initiated in 2014, serves as an interactive platform to educate the public about brown bears, the coastal relatives of grizzlies. Throughout the summer, these bears focus on catching and consuming as many salmon as possible to prepare for the harsh, lean winters of Alaska. Voters in the contest often consider before-and-after photographs of the bears, which highlight their transformation from lean figures at the beginning of summer to much heftier forms by the end. Some fans choose their favorites based on personal stories or distinctive appearances rather than solely on weight.
As Fat Bear Week continues to capture the imagination of viewers worldwide, Chunk’s victory not only brings attention to his individual struggle and triumph but also highlights the ongoing challenges faced by wildlife in their natural habitats. The contest promotes awareness of the importance of conservation efforts, ensuring that such majestic creatures can thrive in the wild for generations to come.
