By Regina Sienra on October 13, 2023

Photo: NPS Photo/F. Jimenez

“This fierce queen ran away with every one of her matches (and our hearts) and has earned her very first #FatBearWeek win!”

Over the years, Fat Bear Week has grown into a thrilling competition. And now, the champion of the 2023 competition has been revealed. This year, a brown female bear known as 128 Grazer has been crowned the winner after dazzling the crowds with her determination…and chubbiness. On her way to first place, she has even subverted the river hierarchy usually ruled by male bears.

Katmai National Park, which runs the contest, announced her win on Instagram. “Congratulations to 128 Grazer, our 2023 #FatBearWeek champion! This fierce queen ran away with every one of her matches (and our hearts) and has earned her very first #FatBearWeek win!” they wrote. “Though she may be blissfully unaware of her new title in this imaginary competition, her success is real!”

The fatter a bear gets by the end of the summer, the more chances it has of making it through the winter, which is why Fat Bear Week goes beyond a fun trend. “In the bear world, fat equals success, and all the bears have been working endlessly to pack on the pounds needed to survive winter hibernation,” the park explains. “It’s a competition where all the contenders are winners.”

Photo: Courtesy N. Boak.

To make her way to the top, 128 Grazer challenged even some of the biggest bears in the community. Despite looking lean during the summer, she has grown into a such large creature that she has no issue intimidating her fellow bears. And when her size has not been enough, she has resorted to being ruthless and aggressive. This has paid off, as being one of the most feared and respected bears has allowed her to get some of the best fishing spots in Katmai’s Brooks River. In the end, she defeated the runner up, 32 Chunk by a landslide—108,321 to 23,134 votes.[…]

More: Fat Bear Week Crowns Female Brown Bear as Its 2023 Champion