KING SALMON, AK – Every fall, bears across the world gorge themselves to build up fat for winter hibernation. The technical term for this is hyperphagia, and in Alaska, one national park has turned the annual gorging ritual into a contest.

It’s called Fat Bear Week, and it’s kind of like March Madness – but for fat bears. Starting Oct. 3, you can watch Katmai National Park bear cams to watch brown bears eating salmon along the Brooks River. Spectators can head over to Katmai’s Facebook page to place a friendly (non monetary) bet on which bear will gain the most fat.

The voting will continue through Oct. 9, when the fattest bear will be crowned. The competition only includes brown bears because black bears don’t live in the park.

“Notable competitors this year include bear 747, whose belly barely makes clearance with the ground. He faces strong competition of 435 Holly who not only has to feed herself, but as the mother of two cubs, also has other mouths to fill. In order to achieve the crown, however, they will have to displace reigning Fattest Bear and previous champion 480 Otis. Who will come out on top?” Katmai officials wrote in a press release.

The extra fat bears put on during hyperphagia (and both major North American species, the brown/grizzly bear and black bears exhibit this behavior) will be used throughout the winter for sustenance. Newer research has found that bears don’t fully hibernate like some mammals. They do slow down considerably and enter “torpor,” which differs from hibernation because the animal can wake up intermittently.

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The brown bears at Katmai will be feeding almost exclusively on spawning sockeye salmon. A spot along the Brooks River called Brooks Falls is a prime spot for feeding. The waterfall creates an obstacle for the salmon, slowing them down enough to get caught in the meaty paw of a brown bear.

Check out the 2018 Bear Week bracket here:

File photo by Neal McNamara/Patch