Fat Bear Week: Champ vs Challengers
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The winner of Fat Bear Week will be crowned on 11 October - Fat Bear Tuesday
Fat Bear Week is back for another un-bear-lievable year!
The annual competition held between a group of bears living in Alaska's Katmai National Park in the United States attracts fans from all over the world.
The aim of the game is to see which bear has gained the most weight ahead of winter, when Alaskan bears hibernate.
Meet the champ!
Otis, pictured here in September, is a popular pick for champion of Fat Bear Week, known for his "poise and patience"
Last year, Otis snatched the fattest bear crown for the fourth time, and is back again this year to reclaim the title.
And it's easy to see why - Otis can eat 42 salmon in a single sitting! Impressive.
Voting for this year's fattest bear began on Wednesday, with the winner due to be announced on Tuesday 11 October.
More than 600,000 people voted in the competition last year.
Meet the challenger!
Otis has a rival in Bear 747, who won the competition in 2020.
There are plenty of other bears in the running - twelve in total!
But Otis has one VERY BIG rival: Bear 747.
Bear 747 is one of the largest bears in the world, and is thought to weigh as much as 1,400 pounds (635 kilograms).
I think Bear 747 is the fattest bear so he deserves the vote, but other people are welcome to disagree - and they often do!
Why the bear fat matters?
Creator of the competition, conservationist Mike Fitz, says that putting on the pounds is vital if the bears want to survive the cold, harsh Alaskan winters.
"They're surviving at that time just on their body fat," he explained.
The bears will hibernate for months, starting from November. During that time they rely on their fat stores to stay alive.
During the winter months some animals hibernate - that means they spend them in a 'dormant state'.
Their normal physical functions are suspended or slowed down - a bit like being in a deep sleep.
It's a way for animals to reduce the amount of energy they use - and therefore the amount of food they need - during the coldest seasons.
Mike says that each bear has managed to grow their own personal brand and fan base through their unique behaviours.
But when pressed to say who his favourite bear is, he admits he has a soft spot for Bear 747.
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