ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Fat Bear Nation -- we now know who were the first to fall in the quest to become the rotund-est bruin on southwest Alaska’s Brooks River.
Here’s who lost -- 503 and 609. Both of these bears should be familiar, but maybe not the way you think.
Let’s take a last look at two honorable bears who won’t be thought of as the fattest by millions of friends worldwide.
Some even showed sadness on their loss. Instagram user kreade2011 posted to the explore.org Instagram, “Poor 503 and 609. Still the Prince of katmai 503, and the nicest bear ever!”
609
609 at Brooks Falls in 2025. (EXPLORE.ORG)
609 is a younger female bear, and she had good pedigree -- she was a past Fat Bear Jr. champion. Noted for her fishing ability as a small bear, she was a bit of a family girl -- sticking with her ma for some time before striking out on her own.
There was hope for this gal, as she’d seemed to already identify the top fishing spots on the Brooks.
While she might be out of the 2025 Fat Bear competition -- there’s a chance that this girl could come back to rule the river in the future.
503
Out on a stroll, 503 preps for the FBW challenge. (explore.org)
Literally, this fellow is a gentle giant. Tall, grizzled, calm -- this strong bear won’t be fighting for the top title of online bear fans this year.
503 can be dominant when he needs to, but apparently couldn’t get the votes this year. He’s known for keeping the peace, choosing to take the more peaceful approach.
While he is not in the running any longer, it doesn’t mean he won’t be fat. Or notable on our cams and hearts.
Avery Martinez broke down the Fat Bear Week after the first vote during the 4 p.m. newscast on Sept. 24, 2025.
But what about our winners?
We literally could see the birth of a Fat Bear Dynasty -- as 128 Jr. (128 Grazer’s child) and 2025 Fat Bear Jr. Champion won her first bracket of the propper Fat Bear Week yesterday.
128 JR. “BIGGIE”
128's Yearling (explore.org)
128 Jr., a.k.a. as Biggie, knocked 609 clean out of the competition. Final tally for Biggie came out to over 96,000 votes worldwide. The yearling’s competitor, 609, only brought in about 62,000.
Biggie is already gaining traction online. Some posts to the explore.org Instagram included comments like, “Princess Biggie (crown emoji);” and sassichembunni saying, “128 is modeling that bottom teeth smile we’ve been attempting lately (two crying laughing emojis).”
So what do we know of this wonder kid cub? Well, Junior was noted as a cub last year. Some Fat Bear insiders say that she put on an estimated 200 pounds before the first day of FBW.
Is she scrappy? Yes. Does she have something to prove? Maybe.
Her Mom is the back-to-back reigning Fattest Bear of the Brooks. Could we see a Mother/Daughter competition? Only time will tell.
901
901 sits on the side of the Brooks, enjoying the view. (explore.org)
She’s big. She’s fat (already) and she has triangle ears that are cute to look at.
She’s 901. She’s already doing well. She CRUSHED the competition (503) by such a wide margin I feel bad writing it.
901 clared 143,000 votes. 503 only cleared 12,000.
She’s already reaching fans, with one Instagram poster, lily_burana, posting “901 LITERALLY CRUSHING THE COMPETITION. You go, grrrrl! (bear emoji)” Others have called her a “magestic beast” and that she “deserves to win.”
She may have already had an edge, as 901 allegedly had extra fat reserves when the competition started. She’s also noted for her skill as a mama bear and a fishing expert.
FBW insiders say this one could be the mother of a new generation of top fat bears on the Brooks.
SO WHO’S NEXT? YOU DECIDE.
Fat Bear Weeks’ official bracket says that on Sept. 24 -- Bears 26; 909; 99 and 856 are going up against each other.
You pick who moves ahead -- 26 or 909 -- or 99 or 856.
All in the hopes of being a very fat bear.
YOU CAN ALSO CHECK OUT OUR FAT BEAR WEEK HALL OF FAME FOR MORE ON SOME OF THESE FAT URISIDAES.
FAT BEAR WEEK has been around since 2014, when a Park Ranger used pictures to show how the bears grow in size for winter. It also is a way to help support the bear population and research at Katmai. Fat equals survival for these bears, according to the NPS. These are wild animals, not pets, and should be treated with respect.
The Katmai Conservancy has an Otis Fund which raises money during Fat Bear Week – the fund supports the park and preserve’s brown bears and salmon.
Avery Martinez covers water, ag & the environment for First Alert 4. He is also a Report for America corps member, as well as a member of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk. His coverage goes from corn farms to hunting concerns, and local water rates to buffalo health.
Copyright 2025 KMOV. All rights reserved.
[SRC] https://www.firstalert4.com/2025/09/24/fbw-vote-1-two-bears-are-out-dynasty-might-have-been-born/
