They're short, stout and stuffed full of salmon.
This year's Fat Bear Junior contestants have been announced and they're after your votes in this year's edition of the popular online poll — which you can enter now.
Here's everything you need to know about the clash of the cubs.
What is Fat Bear Junior?
The brown bears of Alaska have been working on their winter bodies and are about to head into hibernation.
But before they hunker down for the cold months, Katmai National Park's most rotund residents will battle it out for the title of fattest bear.
And while the main event, Fat Bear Week, isn't until early October, Fat Bear Junior is here for fans keen to get in on the action early.
Consider it like a bantamweight category – it's a smaller bracket filled with cubs that aren't yet old enough or big enough to compete against adult heavyweights.
The junior floofs have been sorted into a tournament-style bracket and will compete in knockout rounds until just one cub remains.
Who wins is decided by the public through an online poll, meaning you can vote for your favourites.
Which bears are competing?
There are four corpulent cubs on the bracket this year: 909 Jr, 806 Jr, 910 Jr and 128's Spring Cub.
909 Jr
Age: 3.5 years
Adoptive parent: 910
Identification features: Evenly coloured brown fur and wide-set ears
Competition history: The 2022 champion of Fat Bear Junior. With 2024 the third-straight year of 909 Jr competing, she's got some serious experience under her belt.
What the rangers say: "She gained extra years of care after being adopted by her aunt."
806 Jr
Age: 2 years
Parent: 806
Identification features: Grizzled brown fur, a prominent shoulder hump and frosted ears
Competition history: As the reigning Fat Bear Junior champion, 806 Jr is back to defend his title as Katmai's chunkiest cub.
What the rangers say: "He grew in size and confidence, learning to fish alongside his mother."
910 Jr
Age: 2.5 years
Parent: 910
Identification features: Evenly brown, grizzled fur
Competition history: Competed in 2023 but currently holds no titles.
What the rangers say: "[910 Jr] faced constant competition for food in a blended family. She overcame disadvantages to grow into a large and capable bear."
128's Spring Cub
Age: 1
Parent: 128 Grazer
Identification features: Uniform, dark brown fur
Competition history: 128's Spring Cub may be a competition newcomer but it arrives on the scene with a strong heritage. Its mother, 128 Grazer, won the 2023 Fat Bear Week title.
What the rangers say: "[128's Spring Cub] survived a dangerous encounter with another bear, thanks to the brave intervention of its mother, 128 Grazer. It grew rapidly over summer, developing strong survival instincts after losing its sibling."
When is Fat Bear Junior?
Voting will take place on September 26 and 27, local time.
We're 17 hours ahead in Australia, which means the competition will run today and tomorrow our time.
If you're keen to vote, it will need to be on your morning to-do list. These are the times polls will be open:
- AWST: 12am to 9am
- ACST: 1.30am to 10.30am
- AEST: 2am to 11am
How do you vote?
There's no right answer when it comes to deciding which cub should win.
Some fans vote for the biggest overall, but others look for which has the roundest belly or the best before-and-after transformation.
However you decide to judge the contestants, you can cast your vote here.
When is Fat Bear Week?
Next week.
For Australia, the first round of voting will kick off in the early hours of October 3.
We don't know which bears will be competing yet though, so you'll need to stay tuned.
What is the point of Fat Bear Week?
It's mostly just for fun.
The competition started as a single-day event (Fat Bear Tuesday) in 2014 as a way for fans to engage with the park.
But by popular demand, it was extended to a week-long celebration of the beloved bears in 2015.
The Katmai Conservancy does hold a fundraiser alongside the event to raise money for the Otis Fund, which supports education programs and funds research on Katmai's brown bears.
