Katherine Gomez – Mustangs Ahead

(LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL) - Fat Bear Week took place from Sept. 22 - 29 and gave people the opportunity to vote for their favorite brown bear from Katmai National Park in Alaska.

The week is a teaching opportunity for Lakewood Ranch High School (LRHS) Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science teacher Tana Phelps, who shares the competition with her students.

“Bear week is important because it makes the general human population excited about bears,” she said.  “If anything threatens the national park, people are going to be more adamant about wanting to protect our natural environment.”

The competition helped draw attention to bears and the importance of protecting their environment.

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If you want to see these bears or learn more about them, Phelps said to “refer to the National Park website or go to Fatbearsweek.org for more information.”

The week concluded with Bear 89, known as “Backpack,” being named the 2026 Fat Bear Week winner after receiving the most votes.

Photo - Pexels