Fat Bear Week is in jeopardy as government shutdown looms

A government shutdown doesn't just mean a halting of essential services and jobs. It also could come at the cost of one of the nation's favorite annual events: Fat Bear Week. 

The beloved event is a celebration of the brown bears that live along Brooks River in Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska. After spending months fattening up, the bears are now in their final weeks before hibernation, and the week "highlights the accomplishments of these burly bruins," officials said. 

During Fat Bear Week, park officials, along with explore.org, create a bracket of some of the top bears, allowing people around the world to watch the bears on live cams and vote for their favorite.