Before Fat Bear Week had even started, it took a tragic twist when two bears at Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve got into a fight, as reported by competition officials on Monday.

Resident Naturalist Mike Fitz mentioned during a live broadcast originally set to announce the competition’s participants that an adult male bear attacked and killed another bear at Brooks River. “The incident was captured live on the webcams,” he stated.

He added, “We celebrate the bears’ successes and their ample body fat during Fat Bear Week, but it’s important to remember the raw and sometimes brutal reality of life for these animals. Their lives can be quite tough and the way they die may not be gentle.”

Due to this incident, which took place around 9:30 a.m. local time, the reveal of the Fat Bear Week bracket has been postponed until Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. AKT.

Male Bear Overpowers Female Bear

Live webcam footage captured the incident, showing bear number 469, an adult male estimated to be 30 years old, attacking bear number 402, an older female bear, while they were in the water.

Wildlife officials watching the livestream admitted they were unsure why the bears were fighting. They explained that during this season, bears are in a state called hyperphagia, meaning they’re eating as much as possible. They expressed confusion over why one bear would attack another when they don’t serve as food.

“It’s rare to see a bear attack another bear, but it’s not unheard of,” commented Katmai National Park ranger Sarah Bruce. “So, it’s difficult to determine what caused this confrontation.”

Naomi Boak, an official from the Katmai Conservancy, remarked during the live discussion that witnessing the event was distressing. “It’s challenging to analyze and interpret what we see without projecting human emotions onto it. Bear behavior is fundamentally different from ours. These are wild creatures, and this was a serious conflict,” she explained.

According to Fitz, bear 469 completely overpowered bear 402 and is likely to have caused her death by drowning rather than from wounds. Afterward, he dragged her body onshore and out of view of the cameras.

“We appreciate these magnificent animals, but this serves as a stark reminder of their size, strength, and power,” Fitz added.

Overview of Fat Bear Week

Fat Bear Week is an annual event held in Katmai National Park that “celebrates the healthy appetites of brown bears” and “the rich ecosystem that supports them,” according to the National Park Service (NPS).

Now in its 10th year, this year’s event runs from October 2-8. Wildlife enthusiasts worldwide can participate by watching the bears via live cams on explore.org, where they feast on salmon from one of the largest salmon runs remaining on the planet, as per NPS.

The contest is a single-elimination tournament scheduled to start Wednesday, as bears prepare for hibernation during peak feeding time after a busy summer. Participants cast their votes for the bear they think “best represents fatness and survival skills in brown bears,” as stated on the contest website.

NPS encourages voters to “choose the bear that they believe can endure the winter.”

How to Vote in Fat Bear Week

Voting takes place at fatbearweek.org, with the champion bear being announced on October 8.

Who Won Fat Bear Week 2023?

The 2023 Fat Bear champion was a brown bear known as 128 Grazer.

Officials noted that nearly 1.4 million votes were cast from individuals across over a hundred countries.

This win marked the first title for 128 Grazer, who has been frequently spotted at the Brooks River in Katmai National Park. She is known for being a very protective mother who has successfully raised two litters of cubs, according to the Fat Bear Week website.

“She frequently heads off and even attacks much larger bears – including big and dominant adult males – to protect her cubs,” the website states.

The celebration of Fat Bear Week is made possible by a collaboration between the National Park Service, Explore.org, and the Katmai Conservancy.