(KSNW) — Voting is officially open for “Fat Bear Week.”
The annual online event, organized by officials with the Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska, is seeking the public’s help in identifying the bear that “best exemplifies fatness” at Katmai.
“Presenting your Titans of Tub and hulking, hefty heroes!” Katmai wrote on Twitter earlier this week. “These bears will soon duke it out to see which tanking tummy reigns supreme.”
Those wishing to participate can cast their votes each day through Oct. 11 in a “March-Madness style bracket where bears are pitted against each other for your vote,” the National Park Service explains of the single-elimination tournament. The bear with the most votes will advance onto the next round. Only one bear can be crowned champion on “Fat Bear Tuesday” (Oct. 11).
Bios and photos of each bear can be viewed at Katmai’s “Fat Bear Week” website at NPS.gov. The park also shares livestreamed footage from their Bear Cams, which can be viewed here.
Fat Bear Week originally began in 2014 as a way to celebrate “fat bears and Katmai’s healthy ecosystem,” according to the park. Katmai is currently home to some of the world’s largest bears, the fattest of which can weigh over 1,200 pounds in late summer and early fall.
“Fat bears 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,” the park writes.
