“Vote for the fattest bear of the year! Some of the largest brown bears on Earth make their home at Brooks River in Katmai National Park, Alaska. Brown bears get fat to survive and Fat Bear Week is an annual tournament celebrating their success in preparation for winter hibernation. Matchups are open for voting October 2 – 8 between 12 – 9 pm Eastern (9 am – 6 pm Pacific). This is a single elimination tournament. For each match-up, vote for the bear you believe best exemplifies fatness and success in brown bears. The bear with the most votes advances to the next round.”
“Only one will be crowned Fat Bear Week champion. Meet the bears, fill out your bracket, predict your fat bear winner, and campaign for your candidate,” says the page at Explore.org encouraging Americans to cast a digital ballot for their favorite – or subjectively determined fattest – bear in Alaska’s Katmai National Park after a delay forced by Bear 469’s brutal murder of Bear 402.