Ah, the fall — cool, crisp weather, breathtaking foliage and Alaska’s Fat Bear Week.
The 10th annual single-elimination tournament is underway at Katmai National Park in Alaska and runs through Oct. 8, when the Fat Bear Week champion will be crowned.
The partnership between Katmai National Park, the Katmai Conservancy and explore.org “highlights the remarkable transformation of brown bears at Brooks River in Katmai National Park Alaska as they prepare for hibernation,” according to a press release.
On a sad note, this year’s bracket reveal was delayed after one of the contestants attacked and killed another earlier this week, according to the National Park Service. The incident was caught on webcams in the park.
“National parks like Katmai protect not only the wonders of nature, but also the harsh realities,” an NPS press release about the incident said. “Each bear seen on the webcams is competing with others to survive.”
Those interested in voting can “meet” the bears of Fat Bear Week at explore.org.