Chonky and they know it: Voting starts in Fat Bear Week

32 Chunk, known for his girth and a scar on his muzzle, has become one of the most dominant males on the Brooks River. But is that enough for him to win Fat Bear Week? (Cory Cravatta/via Katmai National Park & Preserve)

Voting is now officially open in the 2023 Fat Bear Week competition, celebrating the ability of brown bears to pack on weight for their hibernation cycle in Alaska. To do that, they must gobble tons of fish — and luckily, they live near a thriving sockeye salmon run.

"Essentially those fat stores have to keep them healthy from late October till June," when the salmon return to the Brooks River, media ranger Naomi Boak of Katmai National Park and Preserve, told NPR.