Backpack voted Fat Bear Week 2026 winner, beating out another offspring of former champ
A bear named Backpack has been crowned the 2026 Fat Bear Week champion at Katmai National Park. The contest, which celebrates the resilience and health of the park's bear population, saw record-breaking voter engagement.
Why it matters
Fat Bear Week has become a significant cultural phenomenon that promotes wildlife conservation and public interest in national parks.
Backpack has been crowned the 2026 Fat Bear Week champion, beating out a fellow offspring of a former Fat Bear Week winner.Voters were split between bear 910 and 89 Backpack in the final round of the weeklong contest to see who is the chunkiest bear at Katmai National Park & Preserve in Alaska. Backpack received 103,334 votes, and the runner-up received 98,253 votes, according to Explore.org."Your votes, your posts, your favorite bear campaigns, and your shared love for Katmai's wild places turned this week into a collective story shaped by thousands of voices.
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