Fat Bear Week crowns Backpack as 2026 champion

The annual Fat Bear Week competition in Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve has crowned Bear 89, known as Backpack, as the 2026 winner. Backpack is the offspring of Holly, the ‘Duchess of Density,’ who won the title in 2019. The event highlights the importance of brown bears gaining significant weight to survive the upcoming winter hibernation.

In a similar biological process, black bears in Oklahoma are also entering hyperphagia, a state of intense feeding to build fat reserves for winter. While Alaskan brown bears rely on salmon and berries, Oklahoma black bears focus on acorns, hickory nuts, and persimmons. The Oklahoma black bear population, estimated at approximately 2,000, is currently recovering following historical declines due to habitat loss and overhunting.