Dominant on the river': 32 Chunk crowned champion in biggest Fat Bear Week yet'

"The merely chubby have been winnowed away, a naturalist intoned. We are left with a clash of titans. After a record-breaking week of public voting, Katmai national park and preserve in Alaska has announced the winner of its biggest Fat Bear Week yet. 32 Chunk, frequently described as the most dominant brown bear on the river, won the fatness competition despite suffering for most of the season from a broken jaw, which locals suspected came from battling with another male over a female."

"The annual bracket-style competition pits different wild bears against each other, based on before-and-after photos of the bears' weight gain as they prepare for winter, as well as the bears' personalities and ursine accomplishments. 32 Chunk's ability to eat huge quantities of salmon and grow fat despite his debilitating injury led him to victory in the public competition, with 96,350 votes compared to Bear 856 the runner up who garnered 63,725 votes."

Katmai National Park and Preserve held its largest Fat Bear Week, attracting over 1.5 million public votes. 32 Chunk, a dominant male brown bear, won after gaining significant weight despite suffering a broken jaw likely from a fight over a female. Chunk received 96,350 votes; runner-up Bear 856 received 63,725. The bracket-style contest compares bears' before-and-after photos showing weight gain, along with personalities and accomplishments, and highlights bears' salmon-feeding, river behavior, and occasional fights. Fattening indicates higher hibernation survival prospects. The competition began in 2014 and showcases the park's population of large brown bears, some exceeding 1,200 pounds.

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