# @nationalparkservice on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DdmHfh6F8H_
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/70768375-nationalparkservice-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/cd392bf4a6.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-09-22T16:03:23.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** National Park Service (@nationalparkservice) — https://gondola.cc/nationalparkservice

## Caption

FAT BEAR WEEK… HAS BEGUN. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. 

For those unaware, Fat Bear Week is an annual tournament where bears are critiqued on their ability to become extremely large in preparation for winter.

Held in Katmai National Park & Preserve the tournament is single elimination bracket competition. Each matchup features two bears/family groups who have spent the year doing what bears do best: eating enormous quantities of food and becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish from a furry boulder.

You vote for the bear you believe best represents success. Along the way, you learn about bears, salmon, the unique Alaskan ecosystem, and how to best use infuse the phrase “certified chonk” into everyday conversation. 

The bear with the most votes advances. The bear that comes up short couldn’t care less, because the bears have absolutely no idea that we’re fussing over their diet plans and turning their winter gains into a competition. 

Eventually, only one remains.

One bear. One crown. One extremely important question: Does the camera really add 10 lbs? If only 10…

Click the link for bear matchups, how to vote, bear information, and educational resources: explore.org 

NPS Images

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 130,030
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 435

## Credits

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| National Park Service | @nationalparkservice | https://gondola.cc/nationalparkservice | Government Organization |

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