Voting starts Wednesday in the annual Fat Bear Week contest at Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve, with viewers picking their favourite among a dozen brown bears fattened up to survive the winter.

The contest, which is in its 10th year, celebrates the resiliency of the 2,200 brown bears that live in the preserve on the Alaska Peninsula, which extends from the state’s southwest corner toward the Aleutian Islands. The animals gorge on the abundant sockeye salmon that return to the Brooks River, sometimes chomping the fish in midair as they try to hurdle a small waterfall and make their way upstream to spawn.

Every year Fat Bear Week allows fans to vote for their favourite bear online. The U.S. National Park Service welcomes conservation attention{ai:summary}<p>Voting for Fat Bear Week begins Wednesday at Katmai National Park, where viewers select their favorite among a dozen brown bears preparing for winter. This annual contest, now in its 10th year, highlights the survival of the park's 2,200 brown bears.</p><p>The bears feed on sockeye salmon at Brooks River, showcasing their resilience as they navigate the challenges of spawning upstream. #culture</p>

Online voting in Alaska’s Fat Bear Week contest starts after an attack killed 1 contestant

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