Congratulations to our 2026 Fat Bear Week Champ - Bear #89 "Backpack"
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Thank you for donating to the Otis Fund!
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Congratulations to our 2026 Fat Bear Week Champ - Bear #89 "Backpack" * Thank you for donating to the Otis Fund! *
Bear #89 "Backpack" is your new Fat Bear Week Champion!
Backpack came out on top in a year filled with tough competition and some of the most exciting matchups we’ve seen. His skinny-to-fat transformation captured lots of attention, and if you’ve followed his story over the years, you know he’s earned his place at the top.
Fat Bear Champ Backpack has never been known as the bear who picks the biggest fights. He tends to find his place a little more quietly, using his size and persistence to get where he wants to go. That quiet toughness has served him well alongside some of the biggest bears at Brooks River. He doesn’t always need to make a scene to hold his ground.
After a long summer of packing on the pounds, this quiet, older bear has made his name known. His win is not only a piece of his own story, but an addition to a pre-existing legacy. Backpack’s mother, 435 Holly, was a Fat Bear Week winner herself in 2019. Her resilience and success as a mother live on in Backpack, whose ability to find fish and build fat year after year is a testament to what she taught him.
Backpack’s story is one of persistence. Season after season, he returns to Brooks River, finds his place, and gets to work. This year, that persistence carried him all the way to the championship.
Now, this understated bear has solidified his place in Fat Bear Week history. It’s been part of Backpack’s story from the beginning, and this year, it brought him all the way to the championship.
Congratulations to 89 Backpack, our Fat Bear Week 2026 champion! And thank you to everyone who voted, watched, shared, cheered for your favorites, and made this year’s Fat Bear Week so memorable.
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![Katmai Conservancy]()
Katmai Conservancy
We support the preservation of Katmai National Park, its unique ecosystems, scenic character, and associated natural and cultural resources through education, interpretation, and research.
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![Education and Interpretation Support]()
Education and Interpretation Support
We provide funding for Katmai National Park Interpretive, Media, and Bear Monitoring Staff, and the equipment necessary to support the explore.org bear cams and Fat Bear Week.
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![10th Anniversary]()
10th Anniversary
Established in 2016, Katmai Conservancy will be celebrating 10 years of support for Katmai National Park all year long! Watch this space for news, giveaways, 10th anniversary merch, and more.
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![Research Funding]()
Research Funding
Katmai Conservancy supports aerial brown bear abundance research, coastal wolf and bear DNA genotyping studies, and volcano mercury emission studies, among other exciting projects.
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![Connecting with our Community]()
Connecting with our Community
We work with our community partners on a variety of topics and projects, and help connect local students to the cultural and natural history of the Katmai area and the Park itself.
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![We are Beyond Grateful]()
We are Beyond Grateful
A sincere thank you to everyone who donated to the 2025 Otis Fund! Your support makes a real difference for Katmai’s bears, salmon, and wild landscapes. Together, we’re keeping Katmai wild.
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![Become a Friend]()
Become a Friend
Donations raised allow Katmai Conservancy to support education and interpretation, and provide funding for important research on Katmai’s wildlife as well as the extensive human history of the area, among other initiatives.
Katmai Conservancy acknowledges that Katmai National Park and Preserve lies within the homelands of Sugpiaq/Alutiiq, Dena'ina Athabascan, and Yupik people. We honor and respect the diverse Indigenous peoples and cultures of this region and their ties to the land and wildlife, and we are grateful for their continued stewardship since time immemorial.
Indigenous Land Acknowledgement