The 2016 Fat Bear Week Campaign Trail:[]
2016 Fat Bear Week Campaign Posters Facebook Album
2016 Fat Bear Week Tournament:[]
Fat Bear Week starts tomorrow and the tournament schedule is set. Over the next seven days, rangers will post dueling pictures of bears commonly seen on the bearcam. These photos will show the same bear in early summer and fall to illustrate the bears’ relative weight gain over the season.
How to Participate: This is a single elimination tournament to determine the fattest #bearcam bear of 2016. For each set of two bears, vote with your "likes" for the bear you think is the fattest. Likes will be considered final at 8 PM AKDT on the day of the post. The most liked bear advances. Only one will be crowned the 2016 Fat Bear Tuesday Champion!
Wednesday, October 12, 2016:
Round 1.1 : 151 Walker vs 89 Backpack:
FatBearWeek begins with a matchup between two of Brooks River’s finest young bachelor bears: 151 Walker and 89 Backpack. These two up-and-coming young adults have been busy getting fat all year, for their winter survival and in an effort to rise the ranks of the bear hierarchy. The beefier these bears get, the better access they’ll have to preferred fishing locations next year. And that means they can get swoll even quicker. Bigger is definitely better in the bear world, but which of these two young bucks is fattening up best?
NOTE: 151 Walker's 2016.09.21 photo was mislabeled.
Sorry for the confusion everyone - the fall photo of 151 Walker is mislabeled as 89 Backpack. 151 did not transform into another bear, he just transformed into a fatter bear. We hope this doesn't change who you vote for! Unfortunately, replacing the photo with a correctly labeled one would reset the "likes" and start the voting process over. We'll keep the current photo for now. If 151 advances, his next photo comparison will be labeled properly. Again, we are very sorry for the confusion.
151 Walker was declared the winner of round 1.1 .
The votes are in! 151 Walker wins by a landslide: 698 to 154. Check back tomorrow at 9 AM and again at 12 PM for round 2.
Round 1.2 : 402 vs 409 Beadnose :
Two heavyweight mother bears face off for a chance to advance to the second round. Both these big beautiful bears have raised several cubs over the years. They approach cub rearing in different ways, but both aim to get fat for their own survival and for their cubs. There’s no one-size-fits-all mothering technique in the bear world, unless that size is XXXL. Sows sacrifice vital calories for their cubs, which makes the bulging season all the more challenging. Good thing these two know how to eat. Which of these fat mommas has the goods to advance?
409 Beadnose was declared the winner of round 1.2
The votes are in! This one is another no contest - 409 gets the nod with 727 to 78 votes. Check back tomorrow at 9 AM and again at 12 PM for round 2.
Thursday, October 13, 2016:
Round 1.3: 273's Yearling vs 128 Grazer's Spring Cub (the runt of the litter) :
This is a featherweight matchup between 273’s yearling cub and 128’s smallest spring cub. Survival ain’t easy in the bear world, especially for cubs. These mighty minis are bite sized compared to full grown bears, but each may have gained more weight proportionately than any adult bear. They won’t nurse in the den, so they need to make some serious gains to survive the long, lean winter ahead. 273’s yearling is a serious chubster, but 128’s smallest spring cub is the ultimate underdog, weighing just one measly pound at birth! Which cub shows the tubbiness to advance to round two?
128 Grazer's Spring Cub was declared the winner of round 1.3.
Brooks River’s most dominant bear faces off against an up-and-coming competitor in the last matchup of round 2. Lucky for 32 Chunk, this isn’t a contest of force, it’s a contest of fat. As the most dominant bear, 856 spent a lot of time courting females this summer, while Chunk spent more time getting chunky. 856 can throw his weight around to displace 32 at the falls, but is he fat enough to displace Chunkmania from the tournament?
32 Chunk was declared the winner of round 1.4:
Friday, October 14, 2016:
Round 2.1 : 480 Otis vs 151 Walker :
Among unsubstantiated allegations of election fraud, 151 Walker advances to round 2, where he faces a true Brooks River veteran - 480 Otis. 480 is no spring chicken, but that hasn’t stopped him from plumping up this fall. Both these bulky bears have very different approaches to fishing. The old schooler 480 conserves his energy, sometimes expertly napping in his office while he waits for the salmon to come to him. Walker on the other hand, waits for no fish. Utilizing the dash and grab technique, 151 has grown into a worthy opponent for any Brooks River bear. But is his his bulging belly enough to compete with the bear, the myth, the legend, 480 Otis?
480 Otis is declared the winner of round 2.1 :
The ballots are in! The final count is: Otis 732, Walker 172. Experience prevails in this match...
Round 2.2: : 410 vs 409 Beadnose : Last year’s FatBearTuesday Champion 409 Beadnose has advanced to round 2, where she meets a legend in fat bear survival, 410. Even while keeping her cubbies chubby, 409 has managed to put on pounds on pounds for the winter. But her opponent ain’t no slouch either. 410 has mastered the art of energy conservation, plus she’s free from the drain of dependent cubs. 410 is currently the oldest bear known to use the Brooks River, and it shows in her ability to stack on the blubber. Is 410’s lard mongering experience enough to stop the chub train of 409 Beadnose?
410 is declared the winner of round 2.2 .
Saturday, October 15, 2016:
Round 2.3 : 435 Holly vs 128 Grazer's Spring Cub (the runt of the litter) :
Does it get any better than this? 128's smallest cub faces off against larger than life 435 Holly in round 2. Just one of Holly’s bulging butt cheeks is bigger than 128's smallest cub, but the little one may have actually gained more weight proportionately over the summer than the big booty queen. Holly might have another litter of cubs brewing in her belly, but that bulge is all her. If she is pregnant, delayed implantation will prevent her from showing until she is asleep in her den. Without a beefcake belly, Holly cannot reproduce. Without packing the pudge onto 128's tiny cub frame, chances for survival will be slim. Both these bears need to bulk up, but which has earned your vote?
435 Holly was declared the winner of round 2.3 :
Low and behold... 435 Holly has earned another W. Final score: Holly - 747, 128's Smallest cub - 172.
32 Chunk just can’t catch a break. Not to worry though, he’s caught plenty salmon. After defeating 856, the most dominant bear on the river and advancing to round 2, Chunkmania now contends with the second most dominant bear in town, 747. It’s just another day in the life of a brown bear. TheStruggleIsReal. 747’s dominance factor gives him an edge - better fishing access equals a bulkier breadbasket. But 32 Chunk didn’t get his nickname for nothing. Those aren’t lovely lady lumps, they’re fleshy hefty haunches. The Chunk is on the rise within the bear hierarchy, but can he overcome the heaviest hunk around? The decision is yours.
747 was declared the winner of round 2.4 :
Valiant effort Chunk, but the big guy takes this one. Final score: 747 - 557, 32 Chunk - 231.
Sunday, October 16, 2016:
Round 3 is upon us. Experience guides these obese elders, two of the oldest known to use the Brooks River. Both buddha-bellied bears show zen-like patience in their strategies for survival. 410 has created belly holes (bear beds) in nearly every conceivable location near the river, and is often seen napping more frequently than fishing. Otis, on the other paw, sometimes dozes off in the river while fishing. Both have proven to be excellent strategies for conserving energy and hoarding that sweet, sweet lard for the long and lean winter ahead. But how many more years can these seniors manage to survive? With an ample food supply, these two jelly-bellies have it made in the bear world. Who took advantage best this year?
480 Otis was declared the winner of round 3.1
Otis for the win with 833 "votes" leading to 410 with 123 "votes." The audience has spoken.
Round 3.2 : 435 Holly vs 747 :
Look alive voters, the competition is heating up. Holly ain’t playin’ around with no small fry this round, now she’s got the biggest, baddest bear on the river to contend with - 747. Both these gargantuans are bulging at the booty this fall. 747 has been taking advantage of his size for one purpose: gains. He’s had primo access to his preferred fishing locations, and has been eating salmon like… well, like his life depends on it - because it does. So does his place in the FatBearWeek competition. But 435 Holly has been working hard to earn her FatBearTuesday title. With no cubs to look after this summer, Holly has let her hair down and her gut out. Those rolly-polly fat rolls spell survival for the winter time, but do they also spell champion?
435 Holly was declared the winner of round 3.2
And Holly takes the win with 624 "votes" to 224 "votes" for 747. Dat bass tho 🍑 look for it in the next round!
Monday, October 17, 2016:
The Final Round : 480 Otis vs 435 Holly :
In our heart of hearts, we all knew it would come to this. In the final round of FatBearWeek, the queen of bass, 435 Holly, meets the zen master, 480 Otis. Otis is no stranger to the spotlight, acquiring the FatBearTuesday title back in 2014. This year, he’s had to overcome some significant challenges to make it to the final round. Old age has taken a toll on this ancient whale of a bear, but he has persevered. Despite missing his top right and bottom left canine teeth, Ol' Otis has managed to pack on the pudge, and then some. But that doesn’t mean Holly has had it easy. Female bears often aren’t dominant enough to take a spot at the falls alongside larger males where calorie rich, pre-spawned salmon are most abundant. Holly might not be dominant, but she makes up for it with a tenacious dedication to her flabby figure. A master of the snorkeling technique, Holly has retrieved hundreds of dead salmon from the bottom of the river to bolster her bootylicious backside over the season. Both these stout survivors have done well to prepare for winter, but only one will be crowned as the fattest bearcam bear of 2016. Who will it be? The decision is yours.
Tuesday, October 18, 2016:
2016 Fat Bear Tuesday Winner Declared : 480 Otis 2016 Fat Bear Tuesday Champion :
The people have spoken. 480 Otis has been voted the FatBearTuesday Champion! It was a close race, and many worthy opponents gave it their all, which we applaud them for. Not all bears have what it takes to survive in the unforgiving land of Alaska, let alone make as prosperous a living as 480 Otis. Needing to eat a year’s worth of food in less than 6 months is a difficult obstacle to overcome. It’s survival of the fattest in the bear world, and 480 Otis has found some seriously successful strategies for plumping up. Fishing primarily in the far pool (AKA Otis’s office,) 480 stays out of harm’s way, avoiding more dominant bears like 856 and 747, who prefer to fish in the productive “jacuzzi” area. With patience and learned experience, Otis saves his energy by remaining in one place all day, converting salmon into the maximum amount of lard around his belly. It’s earned him his second title for fattest bear, but also earned him a great chance at surviving the long, harsh winter ahead. Otis may not be the most dominant or lively bear around, but he is the fattest. Cheers to you, Otis.
Watch Everything created this video in celebration of 480 Otis winning the 2016 Fat Bear Week contest.:
This fat bear just won a contest for being enormous by Watch Everything-0
ADD HERE: