Fat Bear Week announces its chubby champion

Aptly named 747 soars to be named the grandest grizzly of them all

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  435 Holly. Photo: NPS Photo

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  747. Photo: NPS Photo

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  284. Photo: NPS Photo

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  128 Grazer. Photo: NPS Photo

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  151 Walker. Photo: NPS Photo

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  32 chunk. Photo: NPS Photo

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  Otis the bear weighs more than 450 kilograms. Reuters

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  Bear 747 was named after the jumbo airliner. Photo: of L Law

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  Bear 856 is one of the most dominant bears in his habitat in Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Photo: L Law

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  Bear 164 was first identified as a sub-adult in 2019 and is about 6 years old. Photo: T Carmack

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  Otis the bear has won Fat Bear week four times. Photo: L Law

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  This photo shows a rotund Bear 901 as voters select the fattest bear in Alaska. Photo: L Law

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  Bear 854, named Divot, hunts for salmon in the river. Photo: K Moore

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  Bear 435, named Holly, is just 2.5 years old. Photo: E Johnston

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  This photograph shows a slimmed-down version of Bear 435. Photo: T Carmack

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  Bear 335 is from Holly the bear's most recent litter, the NPS said. Photo: K Moore

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  Bear 32, named Chunk, is one of the most dominant bears in the falls, the US National Park Service said. Photo: L Law

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  Bear 32 searches for fish in the river. Photo: L Law

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  Bear 151 hopes to catch a fresh salmon as it bulks up for winter. Photo: L Law

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  Bear 854, named Divot, prowls the falls in Alaska. Photo: K Moore

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  Bear 128, named Grazer, is one of the more dominant female bears in the falls, the NPS said. Photo: L Law

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  Bear 128, like all of Alaska's brown bears, has put on considerable weight before hibernation season. Photo: L Law

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  This photo shows a slimmed-down Otis. Photo: C Rohdenberg

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  Bear 856 is about 20 years old. Photo: C Rohdenberg

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  This photo shows a slimmed-down Bear 747. Photo: C Rohdenberg

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  Votes are being cast in the US to determine which bear will win Fat Bear Week 2022. Photo: T Carmack

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  More than 800,000 votes were cast in last year's Fat Bear Week. Photo: T Carmack

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  Bear 335 struts around Katmai National Park in Alaska. Photo: T Carmack

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  Leaner times: Otis the bear stands in a river at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Reuters

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  Otis, known for his flappy right ear, does not let his missing teeth deter him from chowing down on fresh salmon. Reuters

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  Brown bear cub 128, front, stands by a river fattening up before hibernation at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Reuters

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  Brown bear cub 909 is getting ready for hibernation season by fattening up before its months-long rest. Reuters

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  Brown bear 503 stands in a river hunting for salmon to fatten up before hibernation at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Reuters

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  Brown bear 128 stands in a river hunting for salmon. Reuters

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  Brown bear 435. Grizzlies are omnivores that also gorge on berries. Reuters

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  Brown bears used to roam widely across the US. Now they are found only in Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. AP

A new champion has been declared as the chunkiest bear of them all at Katmai National Park and Preserve in southern Alaska.

Bear 747 was crowned the winner after defeating its challenger, Bear 901, in Fat Bear Week.

An animal so large it was named after a jumbo jet, Bear 747 celebrated its second Fat Bear Week title — after also emerging victorious in 2020.

Few brown bears grow up to be the size of Bear 747, according the bear's profile on explore.org.

Since he was first identified in 2004, Bear 747 has grown to weigh as much as 636 kilograms — making it one of the largest brown bears on Earth.

Bear 747 fished almost every day in Brooks Falls, Alaska, between June and mid-September.

The annual Fat Bear Week competition, where voters select their favourite grizzly predator, gives audiences a chance to learn about the bears and Katmai National Park.

This year's vote tally surpassed more than one million, smashing last year's record by more than 200,000 votes.