Backpack has been crowned the Fat Bear Week champion after narrowly defeating Bear 910 in an online vote celebrating Alaska’s largest brown bears.
The bear, officially known as Bear 89, secured more than 50 per cent of the poll, which attracted over 100,000 votes. He is recognised for his unusually calm nature and was described in his contestant profile as a “gentle giant”.
Fat Bear Week is in its 12th year and highlights the resilience of the estimated 2,200 brown bears living in Katmai National Park and Preserve on Alaska’s Peninsula.
The annual contest began in 2014 as an interactive way of teaching the public about brown bears, which are coastal relatives of grizzlies. Voters can watch the animals on livestream cameras before choosing their favourite.
Backpack’s route to victory came after he overcame Bucky, who had defeated him in the opening round. Bucky later lost a head-to-head contest against Backpack.
The champion is the son of Holly, a former Fat Bear Week winner who introduced him to the Brooks River when he was a first-year cub in 2006. His name comes from his habit of climbing on to his mother’s back while they swam across the river.
Unlike many large adult male bears, Backpack has not shown much aggression towards competitors, according to his profile. His reputation and family connection helped win support from fans on Instagram.
The bears build up fat reserves by feeding heavily on the salmon that return to the Brooks River from late June. Those reserves help them survive winter hibernation, during which they neither eat nor drink and can lose up to a third of their body weight.
Last year’s winner, Chunk, known officially as Bear 32, took the title at an estimated 545kg. He was eliminated in the first round of this year’s competition by Bucky.
