What is fat bear week? An online voting bracket in which the internet votes on the FATEST bear for the season.
Why? Because these bears need to pack on as much weight as possible before hibernation, and this championship helps bring awareness to the bear's problems. They depend on nature and the bounty of the season, the buffet? SALMON. Salmon populations have been crashing, due to human influence such as overfishing, dam construction, pollution and the climate crisis. Salmon is the lifeblood of the coastline here in North America, bringing the rich nutrients from the ocean inland to the forests.
So what are we doing to celebrate Fat Bear Week? Hosting a character raffle! Introducing, X̱áat: the sockeye salmon manokit. Named after the word for salmon in the language of the Tlingit people, who have lived on Admiralty Island and in southeast Alaska for centuries with numerous stories about the importance of salmon. The winner of the raffle will gain all rights to this character, plus all the artwork done of them! All the artwork done? Yes!