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Part of situation: Backpack wins 2026 Fat Bear Week (3 clusters)

Backpack wins Alaska’s Fat Bear Week 2026

Fat Bear Week brown bears Katmai National Park wildlife conservation Alaska

Backpack, a 20-year-old brown bear also known as Bear 89, has been crowned the winner of the 2026 Fat Bear Week competition at Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve. The bear secured the title with over 103,000 votes, narrowly defeating the runner-up, Bear 910, in a final round that saw record-breaking public participation.

This year's tournament featured 16 contestants in a single-elimination bracket. The competition, organized by the nonprofit Explore.org, serves to highlight the biological importance of bears building fat reserves by gorging on salmon in the Brooks River to survive the upcoming winter hibernation.

Backpack’s victory is a family milestone; his mother, Holly, was a previous champion in 2019. His nickname stems from his childhood habit of climbing onto his mother’s back while swimming. Park officials and enthusiasts noted that the contest has grown significantly, with more than 2.5 million votes cast globally this year.

Entities

Alaska · Backpack · Bear 910 · Brooks Falls · Brooks River · Explore.org · Holly · Katmai National Park and Preserve · Mike Fitz · National Park Service

Sources

Årets tykkeste bjørn er kåret [www.dr.dk]
Gentle giant Backpack wins Alaska’s Fat Bear Week - Haiti Gazette – Daily Haiti News [haitigazette.com]
Backpack edges past Dancing Queen to win the Fat Bear Week title | Alaska [www.europesays.com]
Gentle giant Backpack wins Alaska’s Fat Bear Week - Antigua Tribune – Daily Antigua & Caribbean News, Global Headlines & Insights [antiguatribune.com]
Dicker Sieger: Braunbär „Backpack“ gewinnt „Fat Bear“-Wahl [www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de]
Najgrubszy niedźwiedź tego roku wybrany. Jego historia wzruszyła miliony [zielona.interia.pl]
Backpack è l'orso più grasso dell'Alaska, eletto il vincitore del concorso 'Fat Bear Week' [lecodellitorale.it]
Gentle giant Backpack wins Alaska’s Fat Bear Week | Barbados Gazette – Barbados & Caribbean News [barbadosgazette.com]
The 2026 Fat Bear Week Champion Has Been Crowned [outdoors.com]
Dicker Sieger: Braunbär „Backpack“ gewinnt „Fat Bear“-Wahl [www.dattelner-morgenpost.de]
Dicker Sieger: Braunbär „Backpack“ gewinnt „Fat Bear“-Wahl [www.nn.de]
Backpack Wins Fat Bear Week 2026, Beating Another Offspring of Former Champion [internewscast.com]
The final showdown of Alaska’s Fat Bear Week comes down to heavyweights Bear 910 and Backpack [mymotherlode.com]
Fat Bear Week Returns With 16 Bears Battling for Winter Glory [usaherald.com]
Αλάσκα: Ο Backpack είναι η πιο παχιά αρκούδα για το 2026 - «Είναι ένας ήρεμος γίγαντας» - ΒΙΝΤΕΟ [www.enikos.gr]
Fat Bear Week 2026 Survival of the Fattest — Virginia Law Weekly [www.lawweekly.org]
"Backpack" Crowned Winner Of Alaska Fat Bear Week [www.joemygod.com]
Backpack è l'orso più grasso dell'Alaska, eletto il vincitore del concorso 'Fat Bear Week' [quotidianodibari.it]
Backpack Wins Alaska's 2026 Fat Bear Week Competition at Katmai National Park [time.news]
'Backpack' declared Alaska's Fat Bear Week winner [www.bbc.co.uk]
Gentle giant declared winner of Alaska's Fat Bear Week [www.perthnow.com.au]
Dicker Sieger: Braunbär „Backpack“ gewinnt „Fat Bear“-Wahl [www.recklinghaeuser-zeitung.de]
Dicker Sieger: Braunbär „Backpack“ gewinnt „Fat Bear“-Wahl [www.hellwegeranzeiger.de]
Dicker Sieger: Braunbär „Backpack“ gewinnt „Fat Bear“-Wahl [www.stimberg-zeitung.de]
Dicker Sieger: Braunbär „Backpack“ gewinnt „Fat Bear“-Wahl [www.ruhrnachrichten.de]
Dicker Sieger: Braunbär „Backpack“ gewinnt „Fat Bear“-Wahl [www.dorstenerzeitung.de]
Dicker Sieger: Braunbär „Backpack“ gewinnt „Fat Bear“-Wahl [www.bbv-net.de]
Dicker Sieger: Braunbär „Backpack“ gewinnt „Fat Bear“-Wahl [www.onetz.de]
Dicker Sieger: Braunbär „Backpack“ gewinnt „Fat Bear“-Wahl [www.nordbayern.de]
Fat Bear Week: Braunbär «Backpack» gewinnt Wahl in Alaska [www.ad-hoc-news.de]
The final showdown of Alaska’s Fat Bear Week comes down to heavyweights Bear 910 and Backpack - Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News [whdh.com]
2026 Fat Bear Week is here [wfuogb.com]
Daily on Energy: The long-awaited permitting reform bill is here [www.washingtonexaminer.com]
Gentle giant Backpack declared winner of Alaska's Fat Bear Week [6abc.com]
Gentle giant Backpack declared winner of Alaska's Fat Bear Week [abc7ny.com]
Gentle giant Backpack declared winner of Alaska's Fat Bear Week [abc7.com]
2026 Fat Bear Week Winner Unseats Defending Champion With Wildly Impressive Transformation [brobible.com]
Winnie the Paunch: The 2026 winner of Fat Bear Week has been declared [www.thejournal.ie]
Braunbär «Backpack» gewinnt «Fat Bear»-Wahl [www.watson.ch]
Dicker Sieger: Braunbär „Backpack“ gewinnt „Fat Bear“-Wahl [www.wz.de]
Gentle giant Backpack declared winner of Alaska's Fat Bear Week [www.ktbs.com]
The final showdown of Alaska’s Fat Bear Week comes down to heavyweights Bear 910 and Backpack [laist.com]
The final showdown of Alaska’s Fat Bear Week comes down to heavyweights Bear 910 and Backpack [www.troyrecord.com]
The final showdown of Alaska’s Fat Bear Week comes down to heavyweights Bear 910 and Backpack [wtop.com]
The final showdown of Alaska's Fat Bear Week comes down to heavyweights Bear 910 and Backpack [www.winnipegfreepress.com]
The final showdown of Alaska's Fat Bear Week comes down to heavyweights Bear 910 and Backpack [www.newsday.com]
The final showdown of Alaska's Fat Bear Week comes down to heavyweights Bear 910 and Backpack [www.kob.com]
Gentle giant Backpack declared winner of Alaska’s Fat Bear Week [nypost.com]
Bear #89 (Backpack) wins Fat Bear Week 2026 [www.popsci.com]
Bear 910 and Backpack emerge as Alaska’s Fat Bear Week finalists [www.independent.co.uk]
Backpack edges past Dancing Queen to win the Fat Bear Week title [www.theguardian.com]