Voting for an annual event where members of the public pick the fattest bear in an Alaskan park began on Tuesday.
The US-based event, dubbed Fat Bear Week, is a single-elimination tournament in which two bears are pitted against each other, leaving the one with the most votes to advance to the next round.
Images of bears near the Brooks River in Katmai National Park, where the animals often hunt for salmon, are presented as voting match ups.
Daily voting rounds will be open until 30 September between 12-9pm Eastern times.
The victorious bear will be crowned the fat Bear Week champion next Tuesday.
Members of the public are urged to choose the bear which “best exemplifies fatness and success”.
According to the competition page, “fat bears are successful bears” as they need to increase their body weight in advance of winter hibernation, during which they do not eat or drink and lose a third of their body weight.
As of 2pm UK time on Wednesday, the leading bear of the day gained over 900 votes.
Katmai Park superintendent told the Guardian: “Fat Bear Week enables people from around the world to actively engage in learning about bears while cheering for their favourite competitor.”
Katmai National Park is home to some of the largest brown bears in the world, with adult males weighing up to 400kg in mid-summer.
By Autumn, the largest males often weigh more than 544kg in preparation for hibernation.
Last year’s winner, Grazer, won the title for the second time, beating Chunk by thousands of votes.
Chunk can be identified by “a distinctive scar across his muzzle and a broken, yet healing jaw,” which isn’t holding him back from the competition this year.
Participants can “meet the bears” on the website, which features pictures, names and biographies of each bear in the running for the competition.
The Fat Bear Junior competition for cubs, was held from 18 to 19 September, after which bear 128 junior was crowned the winner.
Alongside the competition, the Katmai Conservancy which supports the national parks and bears has launched a fundraiser, having raised $57,911 of its $350,000 aim by October.
Vote for the fattest bear HERE.
