Fat Bear Week 2022: Who won the competition?

Bear 747 is this year's winner!

It's official - the results are in and Fat Bear Week has a winner!

The fattest brown bear at Alaska's Katmai National Park was officially crowned this week.

Ahead of their winter hibernation the brown bears' weight is closely monitored.

People from all around the world vote for which bear they believed has gained the most weight.

So who won fattest bear 2022?

Bear 747 took title this year, weighing in at an estimated 1,400lbs (635kg). The winner saw off his final competitor Bear 901, gaining an impressive 68,105 votes compared to his rival's 56,876 votes.

"Ultimately, 747 ripped apart the salmon - and the competition - to seize his 2nd crown as the 2022 Champion," the park tweeted after Tuesday's vote.

The former reigning champ Otis, who is also known as Bear 480, was unable to hold on to his title.

Bear 901, who may be expecting her first litter of cubs in the winter, came in at a close second during this year's competition

Fat bear scandal

This year's competition wasn't all plain sailing! Bear 747 nearly didn't make it to the final because of voter fraud which was identified during the semi-finals rounds.

The organisers of the competition quickly stepped in after some cheats tried to get Bear 435 into the next round instead of Bear 747.

"It appears someone has decided to spam the Fat Bear Week poll, but fortunately it is easy for us to tell which votes are fraudulent," the park said.

Despite the minor voting scandal, the annual Fat Bear Week, which is now in its eighth year, continued smoothly with its rightful winner declared on Tuesday.

Why do brown bears gain weight before winter?

Brown bears lose up to a third of their body weight during the winter

Brown bears put on lots of weight before winter ahead of hibernation season, when the animals' bodies slow down. The bears spend a lot of this period asleep.

Hibernation is a way for animals to reduce the amount of energy they use - and therefore the amount of food they need - during the coldest seasons.

Bears getting fatter in the lead up to winter is really important as they can lose up to a third of their body weight during this season. The more they gain, the better they're likely to do during the cold months.

Brown bears in Alaska eat lots of fish in the lead up to winter

Each bear at Katmai National Park eats around 500lbs (227kg) of salmon from the park's Brooks River during the summer.

Fat Bear Week winner Bear 747, who gained a huge amount of weight this year and has now secured his second win, is one of the largest brown bears in the world.

The winner is known for being a fantastic fisher and this year, he hunted for salmon almost every day at Brooks River between late June and early September.