Fat Bear Week kicks off - watch some of the contestants

Voting for the annual Fat Bear Week competition has kicked off, pitting bears in Alaska against each other as they eat their way to adequate fatness to prepare for winter hibernation. Organisers encourage voters to pick the bear you believe "best exemplifies fatness and success in brown bears".

Success gets the bears eternal glory and a spot on the champion's wall at Katmai National Park, but also improves their survival chances this winter.

Last year's winner, Grazer, took the title for the second time, besting Chunk by thousands of votes. Both are back again in 2025, and are early favourites among the 12 brown bears in this year's contest. Grazer's cub, Little Miss Biggie, has already been crowned Junior Champion.