In Katmai National Park in Alaska, the annual Fat Bear Week 2026 competition has ended, and the victory was won by a brown bear with the number 89, known as Backpack. This adult male, weighing from 450 to 550 kilograms, received more than 103 thousand votes in the final, beating his rival with the number 910 by only a few thousand votes. In total, 16 bears took part in the tournament, and the total number of votes exceeded two million.
Backpack is the son of Holly, the winner of the 2019 competition. He got his nickname back in childhood: the little bear cub often climbed onto his mother's back when they crossed the Brooks River, full of salmon. Over nearly twenty years of presence in the park, he survived a serious paw injury in his youth, but managed to recover and take his place among the largest individuals.
Backpack's distinguishing feature is his calm character. Unlike many males, who actively fight for the best spots by the waterfall, he relies on "quiet strength" and avoids conflicts. This allows him to efficiently accumulate the fat reserves needed for the long winter hibernation, which in brown bears can last up to six months.
The Fat Bear Week competition, held for the twelfth year already, is not just entertainment. It draws attention to the ecology of the region, where brown bears (Ursus arctos) depend on the abundance of salmon in the rivers. Observations of the animals via webcams show how important a successful summer is for them: survival in the harsh winter months depends directly on it.
Backpack's victory emphasizes that in nature success often comes not only through strength, but also through the ability to adapt and conserve energy. His story, from an injured cub to a champion, is a reminder of the resilience of ecosystems, where every season brings new challenges.
More than two million voting participants from all over the world once again proved: interest in wildlife grows when people see specific animals and their daily struggle for survival.
