Fat Bear Week is here: Meet Backpack, Bucky and other chunky contenders, tell me about this news in (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/fat-bear-week-is-here-meet-backpack-bucky-and-other-chunky-contenders/ar-AA2cHAoI?ocid=BingNewsVerp)

This news covers the launch of Fat Bear Week 2026, the annual single-elimination tournament organized by Katmai National Park and Preserve and explore.org, celebrating the survival and preparation of brown bears as they bulk up on sockeye salmon ahead of winter hibernation.

Key highlights from the reporting include:

• The Tournament: Sixteen brown bears are competing in a bracket-style public vote where fans compare early-summer photos with late-season transformations to decide who packed on the most impressive fat reserves.

• Meet Backpack (Bear 89): A crowd favorite recognizable by his blond ears and quiet resilience. He is the son of 2019 Fat Bear Week champion Holly (435) and is known for packing on significant weight as a rising young adult.

• Meet Bucky (Bear 164 / Bucky Dent): An inventive upstart who secured prime salmon real estate right in the plunge pool below Brooks Falls, catching fish mid-air or as they jump, enabling rapid bulk-up.

• Defending Champion: Bear 32, known as Chunk, returns after winning in 2025. After recovering from a broken jaw sustained the prior year, Chunk enters the competition as a heavyweight front-runner once again.

• Other Contenders: The field features prominent river regulars and resilient mothers, including Walker (151), Gully (903), Electra (284), Marshmallow (131), and Studious (428), along with several protective mothers raising spring litters.