Nepobaby wins Alaska’s Fat Bear contest

KATMAI NATIONAL PARK, Alaska — The winner of this year’s Fat Bear Week has been crowned after a nail-biting final—and it’s the son of a former champion.

Backpack, a 20-year-old male beloved by rangers in Alaska for his quiet determination, edged out female fellow finalist Dancing Queen in the annual ursine eating competition at Katmai National Park.

More than 2.3 million people voted in the weeklong competition that sees bears unwittingly jostle in a series of head-to-head contests to decide which one of them has most impressively piled on the pounds ahead of hibernation.

Viewers watch a livestream of the enormous animals as they scoop salmon from the Brooks River, while visitors to a dedicated website can browse biographies of some of the top contenders, including before-and-after pictures showing how much weight the bears have gained over a summer of feasting.

Backpack’s victory—by a razor-thin margin of just 5,000 votes out of 200,000 cast for the final alone—continues something of a family tradition: his mother Holly is a previous winner.

The animal, known officially by the more prosaic name Bear 89, was nicknamed Backpack by rangers who noted his habit of climbing on his mother’s back when she swam across the river.

He previously suffered a leg injury that left him with a limp and has apparently adapted his lifestyle, preferring to spend his time lazing on a rock, rather than fighting with fellow bears.

“Unlike many large adult male bears, Backpack hasn’t shown much aggression toward his competitors,” his contestant profile says.

Sarah Bruce, a Katmai park ranger, told Alaska Public Media that Backpack now weighs around 1,200 pounds (544 kilograms) and is a clear fan favorite.

“He’s one of the bears that we’ve been able to watch on the live cams since the live cams were put in in 2012,” she said.

The bears of Katmai spend summer and early autumn gorging themselves on salmon as they look to bulk up ahead of a long winter of hibernation.

For five months, the creatures will not eat or drink, slowing all bodily functions as they shelter away from the harsh Alaskan weather.

While the increasingly popular annual competition is largely for fun, organizers say it is helpful in raising awareness of brown bears and their Alaskan habitats, as well as the risks they face from human activity. /cb