NEED TO KNOW

Fat Bear Week is back, accepting votes Sept. 23 through Sept. 30

Last year's animal tournament received over 1.2 million votes from more than 100 countries

Bears can eat over 40 salmon a day, packing on pounds to endure hibernation

It's that time of year again in Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve: Fat Bear Week is returning to celebrate the park's brown bears as they bulk up for winter.

From Sept. 23 through Sept. 30, people all over the world will be able to cast votes online for their favorite beefy bears. The animal crowned at the end will be deemed the "fattest, most successful" bear when it comes to hibernation prep.

"Fat Bear Week is an election that celebrates the success, adaptability, and resiliency of Katmai's bears," said Charlie Annenberg, founder of

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