Brown bear heavyweight Chunk wins Fat Bear Week despite injury

October 1, 2025

In Alaska's Katmai National Park, a brown bear named Chunk has won Fat Bear Week 2025 despite recovering from a broken jaw injury. Chunk received the most votes in the competition between 12 brown bears, where people worldwide vote for the bear they believe best demonstrates fatness and success as the animals prepare for winter hibernation. Park rangers praised Chunk's resilience in adapting to fish with his injury, which was likely sustained during a fight with another bear during mating season.

Who is affected

Brown bears at Katmai National Park, particularly Chunk
Voters from over 100 countries
Fans and followers of Fat Bear Week
Amy Hall and other voters who found inspiration in Chunk's story
The Katmai Conservancy and National Park Service

What action is being taken

Rangers at Katmai National Park are monitoring and documenting the bears' health and resilience
Explore.org is producing live web streams of the bears in partnership with the National Park Service and Katmai Conservancy
Voters are actively participating in the Fat Bear Week competition
The annual Fat Bear Week competition is being conducted to educate people globally about brown bears

Why it matters

The competition highlights the natural process of bears preparing for hibernation by gaining weight
It showcases wildlife resilience, as demonstrated by Chunk's recovery from a broken jaw
The event has grown from 1,700 votes in 2014 to become a global educational initiative
It connects people worldwide with wildlife conservation through an engaging format
The competition provides insights into the lives and behaviors of some of the world's largest brown bears

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC