The USA\u2019s plumpest bears are facing off in the most anticipated weigh in of the year… <\/p>
Forget the summer diet, October is all about putting on as much weight as possible for a warm, comfortable winter \u2013 or at least that’s the case for the brown bears of\u00a0Katmai National Park<\/a>. <\/strong><\/p> The park is currently celebrating its 10th<\/sup>\u00a0annual fat bear tournament \u2013 now known as\u00a0Fat Bear Week<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 where members of the public get to vote for which bear they think has what it takes to survive the winter.\u00a0<\/p> \u201cShake off your seasonal blues, because the election we all need is almost here,\u201d says Explore.org, which provides\u00a0live cams<\/a>\u00a0of the bears on\u00a0Instagram<\/a>.<\/p> During Fat Bear Week, people from around the world cast their votes in a daily head-to-head, deciding which tubby teddy deserves to be crowned as the plumpest. <\/p> At the end of the elimination tournament, 2024\u2019s winning chonk will join bears including Otis, Beadnose and Holly in the\u00a0Hall of Champions<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p> \u201cFat bears are successful bears,\u201d says\u00a0Explore.org. \u201cThey 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.\u201d<\/p> \u201cOver the summer, these bears gorge on salmon to build up the crucial fat reserves that help them endure the harsh Alaskan winter,\u201d adds\u00a0the Katmai Conservancy<\/a>.<\/p>What is Fat Bear Week?<\/h2>