In Katmai National Park’s annual election for the fattest bear, 500kg Chunk emerged victorious, while defending champion Grazer fell short of securing her third consecutive title.

Chunk the Hunk. Chunkster. 32 Chunk. The new king of America’s northernmost state – call him what you like, he's now officially the fattest brown bear in Alaska.

For a week he and 11 other bears competed for this prestigious title during Fat Bear Week. After six rounds of voting, only Chunk and two rivals remained in the final.

RTL

© Flickr.com / Katmai National Park and Preserve

For Chunk, it is a first-ever victory. Rangers estimate his weight at more than 500 kilograms. The previous champion, the formidable female Grazer, has won the competition for the past two years.

This was the 11th edition of Fat Bear Week, organised by Katmai National Park in southwest Alaska.

On the website explore.org, people could cast their votes and watch the bears live on webcam as they fished for salmon. More than 1.6 million votes came in from over 100 countries.

Behind the quirky contest lies a serious message: the park uses it to highlight the ecosystem and habitat of the 2,000-plus brown bears in the region, and the threats they face.

After this exhausting week, the bears can now retreat into their well-earned winter hibernation – having built up plenty of fat reserves to see them through.