In 2007, Backpack returned to the river as a 1 year-old cub with a bad leg injury, which made park staffers concerned about his survival prospects. He pulled through and ultimately struck out on his own, separating from his mother, Holly in 2008. Now Backpack is all grown up and weighs between 1,000-1,200 pounds after an entire season of feasting on salmon. Rangers describe him as a "stoic presence on the river". Fat Bear Week, which started in 2014, celebrates the estimated 2,200 brown bears that live in Katmai National Park and Preserve, which covers more than 4 million acres on the Alaska Peninsula. The annual contest also serves as a fundraiser for the Katmai Conservancy, the park’s nonprofit partner. #FatBearWeek #Backpack #KatmaiNationalPark #BrownBears