The annual Fat Bear Week competition has kicked off in Alaska, just a few days after a rival bear killed one of the contestants.
This contest, which has been running for a decade, invites viewers to vote for their favorite brown bear after the animals have bulked up by feasting on salmon in preparation for winter.
However, the start of this year’s event was postponed by one day following the death of a female bear at the paws of a male bear on Monday.
The entire incident was recorded on film, as cameras were already set up in anticipation of the contest, which is livestreamed globally each year.
Voters can choose from a dozen contestants for the title of Fat Bear at Alaska’s Katmai National Park.
However, this year’s event was overshadowed by the tragic death of one of the competitors, bear 402, who was fatally attacked by bear 469 on Monday in the Brooks River, with the reasons for the incident still unclear.
“National parks like Katmai protect not only the wonders of nature, but also the harsh realities,” stated Katmai National Park and Preserve.
“Each bear seen on the webcams is competing with others to survive.”
Each year, brown bears from the national park feast on dozens of salmon daily along the Brooks River to gain weight before winter.
Twelve bears are selected for the Fat Bear Week bracket, and fans can vote online to determine the winner.
This year’s contestants include the 2023 champion, Grazer, who is a mother raising her first cub.
Last year’s runner-up, Chunk, is still in pursuit of the title.
In the last decade, the competition has evolved from a one-day event with just 1,700 votes into a global weeklong celebration.
In 2023, nearly 1.4 million votes were cast from over 100 countries, as reported by Katmai Conservancy and Explore.org, the organizations that help organize the event.
Fans can vote daily on Explore.org’s website throughout the seven-day competition.
The winner will be revealed on October 8.
