Backpack Overcomes a Serious Injury to Become Alaska’s Fat Bear Week Champion

A brown bear known as Backpack has been crowned the 2026 Fat Bear Week champion in Alaska after winning a closely contested online vote.

Backpack, officially known as Bear 89, defeated Bear 910 in the final round of the annual competition at Katmai National Park and Preserve. He received 103,344 votes, compared with 98,253 for his rival.

From Injured Cub to Champion

Backpack’s journey to the title began long before he became one of Katmai’s most recognizable bears.

When he was a young bear in 2007, Backpack suffered a serious injury to one of his legs. Park rangers were concerned that he might not survive because he struggled to walk normally.

Despite the injury, Backpack eventually recovered without human intervention and grew into a healthy adult bear.

Why Is He Called Backpack?

Backpack received his nickname because of something he did as a cub.

When he was young, he often climbed onto the back of his mother, Holly, while she swam across the Brooks River. Holly was herself a Fat Bear Week champion in 2019.

The connection between mother and son made Backpack especially popular with viewers who have followed the bears through Katmai’s live cameras.

A Very Close Final

Backpack’s path to the championship was not easy. He faced Bear 164, known as Bucky, in the semifinal round and won by fewer than 3,000 votes.

The final against Bear 910 was also extremely close. Backpack eventually finished with just over 51 percent of the vote.

More than 2.3 million votes were reportedly cast during this year’s competition, with people around the world following the bears and choosing their favorites.

Why Bears Get So Big Before Winter

Fat Bear Week is more than an online popularity contest. It highlights an important part of the bears’ natural life cycle.

During the summer and early autumn, Katmai’s brown bears eat large quantities of salmon. They build up substantial fat reserves before entering their winter dens, where they will spend months without eating.

The heavier and healthier a bear is before winter, the better prepared it is for the months ahead.

A Champion With a Difficult Past

Backpack’s victory is particularly notable because of the difficult start he had in life.

Years after suffering an injury that once threatened his survival, he has become a large adult bear and a familiar presence along the Brooks River.

His story has also helped draw attention to the natural behavior and survival of Alaska’s brown bears, which is one of the main purposes behind Fat Bear Week.

Sources

• Associated Press — “Gentle giant Backpack declared winner of Alaska’s Fat Bear Week” — September 29, 2026.
• CBS News — “Backpack voted Fat Bear Week 2026 winner, beating out another offspring of former champ” — September 29, 2026.
• ABC News Australia — “The backstory of this year’s Fat Bear Week winner” — September 30, 2026.
• National Park Service — “Fat Bear Week 2026” — September 11, 2026.