Grazer Becomes Third Female Champion in Fat Bear Week

A new winner has been crowned in the popular online event known as Fat Bear Week. Voters have chosen 128 Grazer as this year's champion, making her the first-time winner of the coveted title. Grazer, a defensive mother bear, beat out her competition, including the larger bear 32 Chunk, by receiving over 85,000 more votes. The Alaska Katmai National Park & Preserve, which hosts the event, humorously tweeted that "the gutsy girl grounded the guy with a gut." Fat Bear Week, founded in 2014 by former park ranger Mike Fitz, has become a viral sensation with millions of viewers tuning in each year. Fans choose their favorite from twelve plump brown bears at Alaska's Katmai National Park that gather along Brooks River to feast on salmon and gain weight before winter. Grazer, a large mother bear with distinct features such as conspicuously blonde ears, received a staggering 108,321 votes this year. She is known for her impressive hunting skills and her ability to confront and protect her cubs from larger male bears. Grazer surpassed popular contenders like the 27-year-old giant, 480 (Otis), and the two-time Fat Bear Week champion, 747 (Colbert), to claim the title. Despite Chunk's growth into one of the river's largest and dominant males, he was no match for Grazer’s skill and toughness. According to the National Park Service, Grazer is one of Brooks River's most formidable, successful, and adaptable bears.