Fat Bear Week cheating scandal sullies semifinal ahead of championship showdown

It was furry fraud.

The annual Fat Bear Week competition was briefly marred by a cheating scandal in the semifinal, but the results were rectified ahead of Tuesday’s championship battle.

The annual conservancy event celebrating the beefed-up brown bears of Katmai National Park in Alaska included a semifinal showdown between plane-sized 747 and heavily fortified 435 Holly.

But the national park declared Sunday: “Like bears stuff their face with fish, our ballot box, too, has been stuffed.” The park found thousands of spam votes came in late for 435 Holly. After a recount, 747 was declared the semifinal winner and moved on to the final against 901.

Katmai National Park said the cheaters bear-ly tried, writing, “Fortunately it is easy for us to tell which votes are fraudulent.”

Voting for the final began Tuesday afternoon and was set to close at 9 p.m.

Fat Bear Week began in 2014 as a way to celebrate Katmai National Park’s brown bears as they pack on the pounds ahead of winter hibernation. Photos of behemoth bears made it an obvious internet favorite.

As explore.org, which hosts the voting, put it: “747 vs. 901: both of them are fat, but only one of them can be the ultimate Fat Bear Week champion.”