Backpack named Alaska’s fattest bear in Fat Bear Week 2026

Backpack's official name is Bear 89. The bear was given the nickname Backpack as a cub, when he used to ride on his mother Holly's back as they swam across the Brooks River in Katmai National Park in Alaska.

Today, he is 20 years old and is estimated to weigh between about 450 and 540 kilograms, according to Alaska Public Media.

Over the past week, 2.3 million votes have been cast in the competition to find out who is the public's favorite chubby brown bear. Second place went to Björn 910.

Backpack may have benefited from being tracked via live cameras since 2012. He has been known to often sit on a rock in the river, possibly to avoid the cold water while hunting salmon.