Brown bear

The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards have announced their 2026 finalist pictures, and the shortlist is delightfully absurd: a caiman wearing a wig, two brown bears that appear to be laughing, and a leopard doing a handstand. The annual competition celebrates funny animal photos while drawing attention to wildlife conservation, and the finalists are being shared widely as viewers pick their favourites.

Katrina, the photographer behind Ostdrossel, shared a photo of a plump backyard visitor as a joking late entry to Fat Bear Week, the annual Alaska contest that crowns the brown bear best prepared for hibernation. The official competition may have ended, but nature lovers are still trading images of notably round animals, keeping the lighthearted celebration of well-fed wildlife going a little longer.

Bear 89, nicknamed Backpack, has been crowned champion of Fat Bear Week 2026, the annual contest run in Alaska's Katmai National Park that lets the public vote for the brown bear best prepared for hibernation after a summer of gorging on salmon. Fans of the yearly competition are celebrating the winner and sharing results across social media.

The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards have released their 2026 finalists, with the shortlist featuring a caiman appearing to wear a wig, two brown bears that look like they are laughing, and a leopard seemingly doing a handstand. The light-hearted competition celebrates amusing animal behaviour captured in the wild, and the picture selection is drawing wide attention and amusement online.

The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards have released their 2026 finalist images, featuring a caiman wearing a wig, two brown bears that appear to be laughing, and a leopard doing a handstand. The finalists are being shared widely in picture galleries, with winners of this year's competition due to be announced on 8 December.

Fat Bear Week 2026 is underway, the annual tournament where the public votes for the brown bear that has best fattened up for winter hibernation at Katmai National Park in Alaska. Fans are comparing bear photos and championing their favorites ahead of the results.

Bear 89, nicknamed Backpack, has won Fat Bear Week 2026 at Katmai National Park in Alaska, defeating Bear 910 in the final after edging out Bucky Dent by under 1% in the semifinals. Backpack famously survived a yearling leg injury in 2007 without human help. Fans celebrate the brown bears' dramatic pre-hibernation weight gain.

Backpack, a large brown bear described as a gentle giant, has been declared the winner of Alaska's Fat Bear Week, the annual contest held at Katmai National Park and Preserve. The competition celebrates the resilience of the roughly 2,200 brown bears living in the preserve, which gorge on salmon ahead of winter hibernation. Fans vote in head-to-head matchups, and the yearly event draws international attention each autumn.

Brown University's women's golf team finished in second place at the SHU Women's Fall Classic. The runner-up result marks a strong showing for the Bears in the autumn collegiate tournament, adding to their season record as fall competition continues.

A brown bear known as Backpack has been crowned champion of Fat Bear Week, the annual contest run by Katmai National Park in Alaska that lets fans vote for the bear that has bulked up most ahead of hibernation. The lighthearted competition has grown into a viral internet tradition, drawing huge audiences each autumn.

A bear nicknamed 'Backpack' has won Fat Bear Week, the annual contest celebrating the fattest brown bears as they bulk up for winter hibernation. The chunky winner is drawing attention online, with coverage from BBC News highlighting the lighthearted competition that also raises awareness of bears and their environment.

Katmai National Park's annual Fat Bear Week contest is reaching its finale, with voters choosing which brown bear has bulked up most before hibernation. The playful popularity contest, run by the National Park Service and explore.org, has grown into a viral internet phenomenon, drawing millions of votes and widespread media attention as fans debate their favourite chubby competitors.

Fat Bear Week, the annual contest run from Alaska's Katmai National Park that lets the public vote for the bear that has best bulked up for hibernation, has reached its final matchup between Bear 910 and a competitor nicknamed Backpack. The yearly bracket draws wide attention each autumn as fans compare photos of the salmon-fattened brown bears and cheer for their favourites.

Fat Bear Week is underway at Alaska's Katmai National Park, where the public votes on which brown bear has bulked up most ahead of winter hibernation. The annual bracket-style contest has once again taken over social media, with fans championing their favorite chunky bears and sharing photos of salmon-fattened contestants.