The Katmai National Park and Preserve in King Salmon, Alaska is currently holding its annual Fat Bear Week to share some appreciation for the park's burliest bears as they prepare for hibernation. It's a great way to encourage people to do their research on the park, bears, and their hibernation habits in order to better educate themselves on the nature around them as well as park safety. Hibernation season is prime time for park visitation, and following the proper safety rules when around bear territory is key.
The park makes a little game out of the bears' weight gain by creating a bracket of their heftiest bears for you to fill out and follow along. The deadline to submit your bracket for "Fat Bear Tuesday" is October 6th.
Here's a look at some of this year's contestants...
The reigning champion, Otis, currently weighs in at 470. He's slated to win the 2020 bracket, but his fiercest competitor, Holly, has done quite the pre-hibernation weight gain. She was 2019's Fat Bear champ, and currently weighs 435. Who will win this year? These two are only a couple of the park's competitors. Fill out your own bracket by the 6th and follow along!