See the winners of Fat Bear Week ahead of winter hibernation

TRAVEL NEWSSee the winners of Fat Bear Week ahead of winter hibernation Alexa Juliana ArdOct. 2, 2024Updated Sept. 29, 2026, 9:57 p.m. ETIt was the survival of the thickest during Fat Bear Week and "Backpack" beat all odds to emerge as the fattest bear of 2026. The medium-large adult male with blond ears and grizzled brown fur in late summer, beat out no. 910, an adult female, by 5,091 votes to emerge as the winner of the 12th edition of the annual beloved online showdown that celebrates Katmai National Park and Preserve's bears' remarkable pre-hibernation glow-up. Backpack, no. 89, is the son of Fat Bear Week champion, Holly, who introduced him to Brooks River when he was a first-year cub in 2006. He was often seen climbing onto his mother's back when the pair swam in the river, earning him his name. Fat Bear Week, this year, ran Sept. 22-29, with voting taking place on all days except on the weekend from Sept. 26-27. Fans cast ballots in head-to-head matchups to decide which bear best embodies the survival skills and healthy appetite needed to make it through Alaska's harshest months. "A record-breaking more than 2.5 million votes" were cast over…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/travel/