2019 marked the first time The Optimist Daily became familiar with the furry phenomenon that is Fat Bear Week. If you aren’t familiar with Fat Bear Week, let us enlighten you: it’s a whole week dedicated to the brown bears of Katmai National Park in Alaska, who have been eating nonstop before the upcoming winter hibernation.
Typically, when the first week of October arrives each year, these bears are usually so full that they look like overstuffed teddy bears. Since 2014, park rangers have asked the online community to vote, March Madness-style, on which bear has grown the fattest over the summer. The annual tournament kicked off this week with head-to-head matchups continuing until October 6th, and bear-loving viewers can tune into Katmai National Park’s live Bearcam to watch our furry friends feast on salmon along the river. Last year’s “Queen of Corpulence” was bear 435 (aka Holly), who has actually become quite the Internet celebrity.
Who the winner will be this year, we’ll find out in a few days. But for now, let’s just appreciate the fact that Fat Bear Week arrived right on schedule—even in a year like 2020. Want to vote yourself? Follow the link here.
