Backpack wins Alaska’s Fat Bear Week after close online vote
Backpack, also known as Bear 89, has won Alaska’s Fat Bear Week after receiving more than 100,000 votes and narrowly defeating Bear 910. The annual contest celebrates brown bears preparing for winter by feeding on salmon at Katmai National Park and Preserve’s Brooks River.
Backpack has won Alaska’s Fat Bear Week after a close online contest featuring 16 brown bears from Katmai National Park and Preserve. The bear, officially known as Bear 89, received more than 100,000 votes and defeated Bear 910 with just over half of the final poll. The nonprofit running the event announced the result on Tuesday evening.
Fat Bear Week celebrates brown bears that feed on returning salmon at Brooks River before winter. The animals build fat reserves during the summer because they do not eat or drink while hibernating and can lose around one-third of their body weight. Backpack is the son of Holly, a former contest champion.
His name refers to his habit of climbing onto his mother’s back when they swam across the river as a cub. His profile describes him as a relatively peaceful large male that uses quiet strength rather than aggression. Fans highlighted his family history and reputation as a gentle giant during the contest.
Backpack defeated Bear 910 in the final. Bear 910 is also the daughter of a former champion, 409 Beadnose. Last year’s winner, Bear 32, known as Chunk, was eliminated in the first round this year.
The contest began in 2014 as an interactive way to educate the public about brown bears, the coastal relatives of grizzlies. Katmai’s preserve is home to about 2,200 brown bears. Adult male brown bears can weigh between 600 and 900 pounds in midsummer and more than 1,000 pounds before hibernation.
The bears may eat as many as 30 fish a day during the salmon season.
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