As the cyberspace becomes an increasingly unpleasant seat to be , Fat Bear Week is more lively than ever . Katmai National Park ’s one-year bracket dedicated to determining the dimension ’s heftiest ursine is a welcome falling out from societal medium outrage and the 24 - minute news cycles/second . At least that was the event until of late . This year , the wholeness of the contest has been compromised by ballot - stuffing — proving that we ca n’t have nice things .
The lowly - stakes tournament has been held in some form since 2014 . The Alaskan national commons is home to move than2200 brown bears , and as they bulge up forwards of hibernation time of year , Katmai shares pictures of the beefiest contenders in a March Madness - expressive style bracket . In other October the public set about to vote for the bear they think deserves the coveted title onExplore.org , and the winner is annunciate at the end of the week .
What started as a creative mode for Katmai National Park to occupy with follower has since exploded intoa phenomenonthat attract international coverage . democratic bear now have dedicate groups of lover take root for their success . With the result take in so much attending , it was only a subject of time before someone tried to ruin it .
" FAT BEAR WEEK SCANDAL , " the officialKatmai National Park Twitter pageposted on October 9 . " Like bears stuff their face with fish , our ballot box , too , has been stuff . "
After announcing Bear 435 ( a.k.a Holly ) ’s supremacy over Bear 747 the previous day , the park retracted her win after discarding the spam ballot . The business relationship did n’t reveal who was trying to set the competition or for what purpose , but it did state that it ’s leisurely to decide which votes are fraudulent . Hopefully that mean the end of the contention will proceed without drama .
Today , Friday , October 11 , is the finale ofFat Bear Week 2022 , with Bear 747 face off against Bear 901 . Anyone is take into account to shake off their vote oncethe wall bracket opensat 12 p.m. EST — just call back that it ’s circumscribed to one vote per person .
