Alaska's salmon-feasting bears face off in biggest Fat Bear Week ever

What it is about

Who published it, and when

How it spread - 33 original reports, 8 reprints

1. Fri, 18 September 2026

   1 report
   • NPR News21:13first to report
     Alaska's salmon-feasting bears face off in biggest Fat Bear Week ever

     This year's single-elimination tournament will see 16 competitors face off, compared to 12 in past years. Officials report more cubs in Katmai National Park than they've seen in recent memory.

2. Mon, 21 September 2026

   4 reports
   • nbcsandiego.com14:51edited after publishing
     Fat Bear Week has arrived. Here's everything to know about the 2026 contest

     previouslyFat Bear Week contestants, bracket and voting rules for 2026

   • Google News - Top Stories18:06
     It’s Fat Bear Week. Meet this year’s heavyset hopefuls

     It’s Fat Bear Week. Meet this year’s heavyset hopefuls Alaska Public Media Fat Bear Week 2026 is here: Meet Chunk, Bucky and other contenders CBS News Alaska's salmon-feasting bears face off in biggest Fat Bear Week ever NPR Meet the bears competing to be the 2026 Fat Bear Week champion in Alaska national park FOX Weather The Fat Bear Week 2026 bracket is here and chunkier than ever popsci.com

   • wtxl.com18:32
     Fat Bear Week returns, pitting Alaska’s biggest brown bears against each other

     Fat Bear Week, the annual online contest everyone loves, has returned to Katmai National Park in Alaska.

   • fox9.com23:06
     Meet the bears competing to be the 2026 Fat Bear Week champion in Alaska national park

     Fat Bear Week is back at Katmai National Park in Alaska and this year, the competition is fiercer than ever.

3. Tue, 22 September 2026

   7 reports
   • Google News - Top Stories01:02
     Fat Bear Week 2026 is here: Meet Chunk, Bucky and other contenders

     Fat Bear Week 2026 is here: Meet Chunk, Bucky and other contenders CBS News Alaska's salmon-feasting bears face off in biggest Fat Bear Week ever NPR Meet the bears competing to be the 2026 Fat Bear Week champion in Alaska national park FOX Weather It’s Fat Bear Week. Meet this year’s heavyset hopefuls Alaska Public Media The Fat Bear Week 2026 bracket is here and chunkier than ever Popular Science

   • Die Zeit (Germany)03:44
     Tierischer Wettstreit: «Fat Bear»-Wettbewerb in Alaska: «Chunk» wieder im Rennen
   • Google News - Top Stories10:53
     Fat Bear Week opens for Alaska’s heavyweight crown. Can Chunk, the 1,200-pound champ, win again?

     Fat Bear Week opens for Alaska’s heavyweight crown. Can Chunk, the 1,200-pound champ, win again? NBC News Fat Bear Week 2026 is here: Meet Chunk, Bucky and other contenders CBS News Battle for heavyweight crown begins as Alaska’s Fat Bear Week opens PBS Fat Bear Week Is About to Kick Off. Which Bear Are You? outsideonline.com It’s Fat Bear Week. Meet this year’s heavyset hopefuls Alaska Public Media

   • abc7chicago.com12:14
     Fat Bear Week opens for Alaska’s heavyweight crown. Can Chunk, the 1,200-pound champ, win again?

     Last year’s winner, Chunk — known officially as Bear 32 — is hungry for a repeat.

     3 reprints

     • standard.net22 Sept, 00:00their copy
     • abc7.com22 Sept, 12:14their copy
     • PBS NewsHour22 Sept, 18:04their copy
   • Google News - Top Stories12:59
     Fat Bear Week opens for Alaska’s heavyweight crown. Can Chunk, the 1,200-pound champ, win again?

     Fat Bear Week opens for Alaska’s heavyweight crown. Can Chunk, the 1,200-pound champ, win again? AP News Fat Bear Week 2026 is here: Meet Chunk, Bucky and other contenders cbsnews.com Battle for heavyweight crown begins as Alaska’s Fat Bear Week opens PBS Fat Bear Week Is About to Kick Off. Which Bear Are You? Outside Magazine Fat Bear Week Day 1: It’s a battle of the moms and single females Popular Science

   • newser.com18:25
     In Alaska, 'There Is No Such Thing as Too Fat of a Bear'

     Fat Bear Week returns to Katmai, with 16 huge contenders this year

   • wqcs.org20:56
     Alaska's annual Fat Bear Week kicks off

     Bears in Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska have been bulking up on salmon before winter. On Tuesday, annual voting kicks off for the favorite.

4. Wed, 23 September 2026

   3 reports
   • foxrochester.com02:47
     Salmon-fueled bulking kicks off Fat Bear Week as online bracket voting opens

     As the weather grows colder, Alaska's heftiest bears are ready to compete to be named Alaska's fattest bear.Online voting began Tuesday for Fat Bear Week.

     3 reprints

     • komonews.com23 Sept, 02:47their copy
     • abcnews4.com23 Sept, 02:47their copy
     • weartv.com23 Sept, 02:47their copy
   • Libération (France)08:48edited after publishing
     Backpack, 20 ans, sacré ours brun le plus gras d’Alaska de l’année 2026, un concours pour sensibiliser le public sur cette espèce

     previouslyUn concours pour élire l’ours brun le plus gras d’Alaska et sensibiliser le public sur cette espèce

     Organisé par le parc national de Katmai, l’événement a réuni cette année plus de deux millions de votants. Un moyen ludique d’informer sur le mode de vie de l’animal, menacé par les activités humaines.

   • wbur.org12:10
     As Alaskan bears gain weight for the winter, they're looking for food and running into humans

     In Juneau this summer, a dozen bears were feasting on a landfill in the city. Another bear crawled into a hotel via the window.

5. Thu, 24 September 2026

   1 report
   • fairfieldsuntimes.com17:43
     Fat Bear Week: Who will be crowned the fattest bear in Alaska?

     The contest pits brown bears of Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve against each other to see how well they bulk up for hibernation.

6. Mon, 28 September 2026

   1 report
   • knba.org20:53
     Ladies and Gentlebears, it’s the Fat Bear Week semifinals

     Welcome to the Fat Bear Week semi-finals where the bears are well-fed and the voters are well-read! May the fattest bear win. Vote today from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. AKDT at fatbearweek.org.

7. Tue, 29 September 2026

   2 reports
   • PBS NewsHour20:18
     Bear 910 vs. Backpack: It's the final showdown for Alaska's Fat Bear Week

     Fat Bear Week celebrates the resilience of the 2,200 brown bears that live in the Katmai National Park and Preserve.

   • Google News - Top Stories20:18
     Bear 910 vs. Backpack: It's the final showdown for Alaska's Fat Bear Week

     Bear 910 vs. Backpack: It's the final showdown for Alaska's Fat Bear Week PBS Alaska’s Fat Bear Week Winner Is 89 Backpack The New York Times It’s almost time to crown a Fat Bear Week champion: Inside the National Park contest that became an internet obsession. Yahoo Fat Bear Week semi-final results: Backpack and Bear #910 advance to final Popular Science 'Backpack' declared Alaska's Fat Bear Week winner BBC

8. Wed, 30 September 2026

   12 reports
   • Google News - Top Stories01:06
     Meet Backpack, Fat Bear Week’s chunky champ

     Meet Backpack, Fat Bear Week’s chunky champ Alaska Public Media Alaska’s Fat Bear Week Winner Is 89 Backpack The New York Times Fat Bear Week Crowns a New Chunky Champion Out of 2 Beefy First Time Finalists People.com Fat Bear Week 2026 winner: Backpack is your champion! Popular Science Bear 910 vs. Backpack: It's the final showdown for Alaska's Fat Bear Week PBS

   • Google News - Top Stories01:14
     Backpack voted Fat Bear Week 2026 winner, beating out another offspring of former champ

     Backpack voted Fat Bear Week 2026 winner, beating out another offspring of former champ CBS News Alaska’s Fat Bear Week Winner Is 89 Backpack The New York Times It’s almost time to crown a Fat Bear Week champion: Inside the National Park contest that became an internet obsession. Yahoo Bear 910 vs. Backpack: It's the final showdown for Alaska's Fat Bear Week PBS Gentle giant Backpack wins Alaska’s Fat Bear Week WKRN News 2

   • ABC News (Australia)03:07
     The backstory of this year's Fat Bear Week winner

     Each year, people around the world vote for their favourite bear in Alaska's Katmai National Park as the fuzzy fellows bulk up for winter hibernation.

   • BBC News World05:01
     'Backpack' declared Alaska's Fat Bear Week winner

     "Backpack" defeated a bear known only as "910" in the final round of the annual competition.

   • irishexaminer.com06:51
     Backpack succeeds Chunk as this year’s Fat Bear Champion in national park

     Rolling coverage of the international stories of interest to our readers

   • Al Jazeera English06:57
     Gentle giant Backpack wins Alaska’s Fat Bear Week

     The contest celebrates the resilience of the 2,200 brown bears that live in the preserve on the Alaska Peninsula.

     1 reprint

     • PBS NewsHour30 Sept, 17:39their copy
   • Google News - Top Stories07:09
     Gentle giant Backpack wins Alaska’s Fat Bear Week

     Gentle giant Backpack wins Alaska’s Fat Bear Week Al Jazeera Gentle giant ‘Backpack’ declared winner of Alaska’s Fat Bear Week NBC News It’s almost time to crown a Fat Bear Week champion: Inside the National Park contest that became an internet obsession. Yahoo Fat Bear Week semi-final results: Backpack and Bear #910 advance to final Popular Science Backpack Is the Fattest of the Fat Bears The New York Times

   • Index.hr (Croatia)09:42
     Backpack je odnio pobjedu na natjecanju za najdebljeg medvjeda na Aljasci

     SMEĐI medvjed 89 Backpack pobijedio je na godišnjem natjecanju Tjedan najdebljih medvjeda.

   • Der Spiegel (Germany)11:00
     »Fat Bear Week« in Alaska: Braunbär Backpack gewinnt Wettbewerb im Katmai-Nationalpark

     Backpack, Chunk, Dancing Queen: Im Internet sind wieder die Bären los. Auf dem Weg zur Winterruhe haben sich die Braunbären Alaskas reichlich Speck angefressen. Aber nur einer konnte gewinnen.

   • The Guardian World13:40
     Backpack edges past Dancing Queen to win the Fat Bear Week title

     Bear known for sitting in solitude won tournament celebrating the animals’ ability to eat large amounts of fish A chunky ursine called Backpack has out gobbled a challenge from an outsized female nicknamed the Dancing Queen to waltz – or rather waddle – off with the Fat Bear Week title at Alaska’s Katmai national park. Backpack, a 20-year-old quiet giant known for sitting in solitude for long periods on his rock on the Brooks river, won by barely 5,000 votes in the public tournament celebrating...

   • lbc.co.uk14:04
     Fat Bear Week 2026 champion crowned as Backpack 89: Katmai National Park competition results

     Brown bear is selected to have put the most weight on over past year in Katmai National Park in Alaska competition

   • wjactv.com23:04
     'Backpack' wins Fat Bear Week at Alaska’s Katmai National Park

     Maybe it was beginner’s luck or family genes, but Fat Bear Week has a new champion: 89 Backpack.

     1 reprint

     • upnorthlive.com30 Sept, 23:04their copy
9. Thu, 1 October 2026

   2 reports
   • Il Fatto Quotidiano (Italy)09:09
     Backpack è il vincitore della “settimana dell’orso grasso”: “Ha una forza tranquilla, non è dominante come gli altri maschi adulti che pescano lungo la cascata”

     La “Fat Bear Week”, ovvero “la settimana dell’orso grasso“, sta ormai diventando un appuntamento tradizionale in Alaska. L’iniziativa, che prevede un concorso tra gli orsi presenti nel parco di Katmai, nasce con un intento divulgativo e coinvolge direttamente le persone, che possono esprimere liberamente la loro preferenza sull’orso da incoronare come vincitore accedendo al sito […] L'articolo Backpack è il vincitore della “settimana dell’orso grasso”: “Ha una forza tranquilla, non è dominante...

   • globalnews.ca20:05
     Fat Bear Week crowns its heavyweight champion: 89 Backpack

     Backpack outweighed 16 beefed up bears from five bear families, who call Alaska’s Katmai National Park home, to secure the ultimate prize.