The brown bear, who now weighs between 1,000 and 1,200 pounds after fattening up on salmon, earned his nickname as a cub. When he was little, he enjoyed riding on his mom's back as she swam across a r

Voters were split between bear 910 and 89 Backpack in the final round of the weeklong contest to see who is the chunkiest bear at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska.

Only four chunky specimens remain in Fat Bear Week 2026. Two ladies with fascinating backstories, Bear #132 and Bear #910, battle in the first semi-final, while clever big boys Bucky Dent and Backpack face off in the second semifinal.

A brown bear who once hitched rides on his mother’s back has come a long way since his cub days. Bear 89, better known as Backpack, has been crowned the 2026 Fat Bear Week champion at Alaska’s Katmai

Backpack went from hitching a ride on his mom’s back to cross the Brooks River to winning the hearts of fat bear fans around the world.

Bear 89 Backpack defeated Bear 910 by just over 5,000 votes in the Fat Bear Week 2026 final at Alaska's Katmai National Park on Brooks River.

The event this year featured 16 bears vying for the heavyweight title in a single-elimination, bracket-style tournament

After a week of fierce competition, Backpack emerged victorious as Fat Bear Week champion, the heftiest bear of Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve.

"Heavy is the bear that wears the crown. Like really heavy." | After a week of fierce competition, Backpack emerged victorious as Fat Bear Week champion, the heftiest bear of Alaska's Katmai National