Fat Bear Week is here: How the contest works and how to vote for this year’s chunkiest champion

As summer winds down in Alaska’s Katmai National Park, a peculiar yet beloved tradition begins: Fat Bear Week. This friendly and educational online tournament unites people across the world as they vote to decide which brown bear has gotten the biggest in preparation for the long winter that is approaching.

Brown bears at Katmai spend late summer and early autumn feasting on salmon, bulking up fat reserves that they need for hibernation. These weight gains can be astonishing: they gain hundreds of pounds during this time as they spend up to 20 hours a day foraging and eating.

But, as in life, it isn’t just about girth. Voters are encouraged to consider personal stories: bears who have endured injuries, bears raising cubs, bears defending territory. It’s more about personality in the end.

“It really is an opportunity for people to think about how bears survive, what they need to do to survive, what the ecosystem provides them and look at their individual success stories, as well,” naturalist Mike Fitz, who started the contest when he was a ranger at Katmai, told AP.

To take part in Fat Bear Week voting, head over to www.fatbearweek.org during the competition dates, when polls open each day from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Time.

The contest runs like a sports bracket: two bears face off, and you pick your favourite by clicking on the photo. After selecting, you’ll be asked to enter your email address, with one vote allowed per matchup.

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Winners advance until a final champion is crowned.

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