Meet the Bears of Fat Bear Week

The contestants have been chosen. Now, Fat Bear Week officially begins. Voting is open for the 12 chosen bears from Brooks River in Alaska's Katmai National Park, featured in a bracket-style tournament—four of whom automatically advanced past the first round due to their size. Despite the name of the annual contest begun in 2014, it's not just about weight. Voters are encouraged to choose the bear who best represents fatness and success, or whichever one they like the best, per CNN and AV Club. The winner will be announced Sept. 30. The candidates:

• 128 Jr.: This year's winner of the Fat Bear Jr. contest
• 128 aka "Grazer": A back-to-back winner in 2023 and 2024 and an excellent fisher, as well as mom to 128 Jr.
• 602 aka "Floatato": Compared to Homer Simpson, this male is known to take a break from fishing to nap in the river
• 32 aka "Chunk": A male and previous winner, now recovering from a broken jaw
• 503: Abandoned as a yearling, this male has a reputation for being resourceful and getting along well with others
• 609: A 5-year-old female who recently parted ways with mom
• 909: 609's mom and a daughter of the 2018 Champion
• 910: A sister of 909, she's back on her own after raising two cubs, including an adopted niece, this spring
• 901: A 9-year-old female and regular at Knack Knack Beach
• 26: A female who is actively raising cubs after losing a previous litter
• 99: A young adult male making his first appearance in the contest
• 856: A dominant but aging male who has a habit of licking his lips when fishing

You can learn more about the bears here and watch them in action here.