Fat Bear Week 2026 has kicked off with sixteen brown bears competing for the championship. Chunk, the defending champion, is one of the participants. The event has garnered interest, with voting narrowing the competition to the final two days. Viewers can watch Katmai's bears and cast their votes for the bear they like best. The event has appeared in various media outlets, including KOSU, Your Alaska Link, The Washington Post, KTOO, and theanimalrescuesite.com.