Fat Bear Week 2026 Winner
Congratulations to bear #89: Backpack!
“Why are fat bears important? Katmai’s brown bears are fattest in late summer and early fall. It is the result of a summer-long effort to satisfy their profound hunger and prepare for winter hibernation. During hibernation, bears do not eat or drink and lose one-third of their body weight. Their winter survival depends on accumulating ample fat reserves before entering the den. To get fat, bears gorge on the richest and most accessible foods they can find. In Katmai National Park that often means salmon. Dozens of bears gather at Brooks River to feast on salmon from late June until mid October. Perhaps no other river on Earth offers bears the chance to feed on salmon at one place for so long. Fat bears are successful bears. They exemplify the richness of Katmai National Park and Bristol Bay, Alaska, a wild region that is home to more brown bears than people and the largest, healthiest runs of sockeye salmon left on the planet.”
About the winner, #89 Backpack:
Backpack’s mother and former Fat Bear Week champion, Holly, introduced him to Brooks River when he was a first-year cub in 2006. Backpack often climbed onto his mother’s back when the pair swam in the river, a habit that inspired his nickname. He returned with a significant leg injury in 2007. No person witnessed how Backpack was injured, though he clearly favored the injured leg and did not put weight on it for much of the summer. Park staff and the visiting public openly wondered about his chances of survival. Backpack soon proved he only needed the chance to let his mother care for him and recover on his own. His leg healed and he separated from his mom in 2008. Since then, Backpack has grown into a large adult and become a consistent presence at Brooks Falls, especially in early summer.
Unlike many large adult male bears, Backpack hasn’t shown much aggression toward his competitors. He’ll stand up for himself when necessary, but he prefers to use a quiet strength to gain access to preferred fishing spots. His body size suggests that the strategy works. Although some bears are brawlers who thrive in the face of competition, others find a way to live within calmer niches. These bears, like Backpack, express their own versions of toughness, yet are no less successful than their more aggressive counterparts. Backpack’s quiet toughness has allowed him to find his niche alongside the biggest bears at Brooks River.
With Backpack hailed champion, that means the winner of the fat bear week character raffle is: Rose!
We hosted a character raffle in celebration for fat bear week, with the character, 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.
To join the raffle, all participants needed to draw art of X̱áat and choose a bear as their champion. As the winner of the raffle, Rose gets the character rights to X̱áat, which includes a whole lot of really cool fan art from everyone who participated! Let’s check out the amazing gallery of art the manokit community provided for the event.
We start with the original character design, illustrated by Zed Shirogane
Illustrated by Night
Illustrated by Despair Of Stars
Illustrated by Pinkaruzuki Ackerman
Illustrated by Crow
Illustrated by Roku
Illustrated by Cyber Error Studios
Illustrated by ChitonKelp
Illustrated by Pourrir
Illustrated by Hero
Illustrated by Rose
Congrats again to Rose!
Tune in next year for another fat bear week championship, next year we will start the event sooner and cut-off signing up for bears before the voting starts to prevent the confusion that occured this year (because this was a last minute event).
Remember to support your local wildlife conservation programs, and donate to the Katmai Conservancy if you can!
“Katmai National Park and Preserve spans over 4 million acres, making it the fourth largest National Park in the United States. With rich coastal and river ecosystems, diverse wildlife, and dramatic mountains and volcanoes, Katmai is a true national treasure. Yet despite its size and importance, it remains one of our least funded Parks. Donations allow us to provide critical support for Park staff and infrastructure, as well as funding for research on Katmai’s wildlife, lands, water, and extensive human history. Other initiatives include promoting youth engagement and supporting education and interpretation, both within and outside of the Park. Each of these efforts enhances the visitor experience while safeguarding Katmai’s extraordinary landscapes and communities. With your support, we can continue to make a lasting difference. Thank you for helping us keep Katmai wild.” - Katmai Conservancy
A merch sticker you can purchase at the Katmai Conservancy
