Fat Bear Week, when people get to pick their favorite Alaskan brown bear bulking up for hibernation, is coming early this year. The annual online competition that normally starts in early October will instead start on Sept. 23. Katmai National Park and Preserve officials say the bears are magnificently plump ahead of the tournament.

"This year's salmon run was extraordinary, with salmon numbers surpassing anything seen in recent memory," Matt Johnson, the park's interpretation program manager, told NPR via email. "As a result, the brown bears of Katmai are well-nourished and looking for other things to do besides scrap[p]ing with each other for food."

The bracket for Fat Bear Week 2025 will be revealed on Sept. 22 , when fans will see where familiar names of past champions , such as

See Full Page