It's Fat Bear Week! The event is an annual competition that -- you guessed it -- crowns the fattest bear in Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve.

Today Explained: Alaska's Fat Bear Week

it's time for today explain where you break down some of the biggest stories in the news, how we got here and where we go next and it's that time of year again, fat bear week, if you've never heard of it, you're in for a treat. It's an annual March Madness style competition to crown the chubby ist ist bear in all of Alaska's katayama katmai National Park each year, in october thousands of people weigh in on which bear they think weighs the most. It started in 2014 as a way to promote the park and its bears but has since grown into a pop culture phenomenon. Take a look. They got a big old booty. Yeah, yeah, you got a big old booty, Let me see you put in work, work work and as you can see the competition is stiff this year, Otis, the reigning champ with four fat Bear week titles to his name, has already been knocked out of the race. This chunky guy once ate 42 salmon in one sitting not letting a couple of missing teeth hold him back. He's a fan favorite known for his patients employing a sit and wait strategy to conserve the energy needed when trying to pack on pounds for winter. We'll take a look at bear 747 who is a shoo in to win this year since claiming his first fat bear week title in 2020. He's only grown in size, becoming one of the largest brown bears on earth. Clocking in at an estimated £1400 because of his size, He dominates the best fishing spots, but few bears daring to challenge his perch, but it's more than just admiring fat bears for our own entertainment. Fat Bear Week celebrates the strength and resilience of brown bears as they prepare to hibernate for the winter, and it's not easy. In fact, the brown bears of Alaska need to eat a year's worth of food in just six months to survive the season. The plumper the bear, the more energy it will have for hibernation. The final rounds of voting take place tomorrow, so head over to explore dot org slash fat bear week to cast your pick for the chunky 2022 champion.