Bear 32 Chunk was crowned this year’s Fat Bear Week champion, defeating rival Bear 856 in the final round of voting Tuesday evening.
Rangers say Chunk is one of the most recognizable bears at Alaska’s Katmai National Park, marked by a broken jaw that never healed. The injury has not stopped him from adapting his fishing techniques, as the large brown bear still manages to chow down on Brooks River salmon to fatten up for winter hibernation.
In the March Madness-style bracket, Chunk cruised through every matchup, winning by at least double the votes of his opponents before sealing his title in a landslide victory of 96,350 to 63,725 over Bear 856.
32 Chunk reached the Fat Bear Week finals in both 2023 and 2024 but lost twice to 128 Grazer, another Katmai heavyweight known for fiercely protecting her cubs. The rivalry intensified last year when 32 Chunk attacked and killed one of Grazer’s cubs after it slipped over a waterfall.
