Fat Bear Week Just Crowned A Winner After A Cheating Scandal & Claims Of A Rigged Vote

Nature lovers have crowned the best fat bear of 2022, but only after a super messy vote and a cheating scandal that rocked the competition.

On Tuesday, Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve announced a bear named 747 had been voted the winner of Fat Bear Week, a tournament that celebrates a chunky bear’s success in preparation for winter hibernation.

In a tweet, Explore.org said the winning bear got nearly 38,000 votes out of over 1 million votes. They also noted the votes had been recounted after someone "stuffed the ballot box."

It’s being called a "Fat Bear Week scandal for the ages."

In an interview with CNN, Candice Rush of Explore says officials grew suspicious when 747’s opponent, 435 Holly, received 6,000 votes in a matter of hours. They ended up finding over 9,000 spam votes.

In the end, 747 rightfully received the honour of the fattest bear.

The Explore.Org website says few brown bears ever grow as large as 747, named after the Boeing 747.

Since he was first identified in 2004, the big bear with a blocky muzzle and floppy right ear has become one of the largest brown bears in the world, weighing as much as 1,400 pounds (636 kilograms).

The chunky bear is described as a skilled and efficient angler who is often spotted searching for his next meal in the jacuzzi or near the far pool of Brooks Falls.

This isn’t his first winning title, as 747 also won the competition in 2020.

Congrats to 747 for another win!

As for this year’s competition, it’s unclear at this point who will "bear" the responsibility for the vote tampering.