grizzlys Archives

Grizzly 399

Grizzly 399 was , without a doubt, the most famous Grizzly in the Yellowstone/Grand Teton eco-system. She was so famous that when I went to Jackson Hole in 2017 even I had heard of her. Sadly Grizzly 399 was killed in a car/bear accident about a week ago. She was 28. 28 is old for any grizzly but especially a wild bear.

photo credit- unknown

Grizzly 399 was unique in that she was still birthing cubs every year. This bear produced 18 offspring over the years. Another reason she became so famous is that she lived close to Jackson Hole so was more visible than most. It wasn’t unusual for her to be spotted along a roadside with her cubs. Fans even sent texts and posted on social media where she might be seen. That was how I was lucky enough to get a glimpse of the bear and 2 cubs when I was in Wyoming and know that it was this famous bear,

My Sighting

I was heading back to the condo where I was staying after a day touring Yellowstone National Park. The geysers had been plentiful but wildlife had been scarce. I’d just crossed into Grand Teton National Park when I saw a lot of cars pulled off the road. I parked, grabbed the camera and trotted up to the crowd. I could see a lot of pointing and low talking so I approached one of the people in front of me. He told me Grizzly 399 was in the area with 2 cubs. Right about then I heard someone say “There she is!” And cameras came out all along the roadside. I got as close as I could but having arrived late I wasn’t in the best location. Here’s what I was able to capture.

Grizzly 399 and 2 cubs -2017 photo Credit Deb Neumann

Grizzly 399 -2017 photo Credit Deb Neumann

Mangelsen Gallery

If you want to see really beautiful photos of Grizzly 399 you have to visit the Mangelsen Gallery in Jackson Hole. His work is some of the finest Wildlife Photography I have ever seen and he has some outstanding images for Grizzly 399 over the years.

Ode to 399

28 is old for a bear and sooner or later we were going to have to say goodbye to this iconic grizzly. At least we know what happened to her. She could have denned up for a winter and never come out. No matter what it would be sad. Part of me is thankful that we know what happened to her and part of me is angry that it was due to humans that this amazing bear is gone. At the same time having driven those roads and seen how dark they can be I can understand how it happened. RIP Grizzly 399. You will be missed.

Photo credit -unknown

Being Cute is Relative

Not every bear is my idea of cute. The mama grizzly and her two cubs were cute. The grizzly that headed my way at Grand Teton was not cute. I was kicking around the condo scrounging dinner when I decided to take a late afternoon drive. I was nearing the end of my vacation so I didn’t want to waste a late afternoon, the best time of day for animal sighting.

Moose-Wilson Road

There’s a road from Teton Village to Moose Junction. It’s a major shortcut but it was easily the worse road I’ve ever driven. Most of the road is dirt and it clearly had not been graded in a long time. If it wasn’t a washboard it was loaded with pot holes and ruts. The pot holes were deep and huge as were the ruts. I missed my SUV! Your car could bottom out and the tires still hadn’t hit the bottom. I drove this road when I first arrived and swore I’d never take it again but it’s a good place for moose so against my better judgement I found myself picking my way through the pot hole minefield.

Critter Jam Ahead

As I approached the swampy section of Moose-Wilson Rd. I could see a lot of cars pulled over. At least they were trying to pull over. Too close to the edge of the road and they’d be mired in the swamp muck. I pulled over too, As I walked past the parked cars I bumped into a man coming my way. I asked him what was going on…accident or animal? He said a bear was in a tree right next to the road.

This bear is cute

Ok that is worth walking closer. As I came around the curve in the road I saw even more cars double parked and a crowd on the edge of the road. To say the shoulder would be a lie, there was no shoulder. Sure enough there was a little tree, more like a shrub, right next to the road and sitting in the tree was a very fat cinnamon colored bear. He didn’t have a hump and was much smaller than a grizzly. In spite of his color he was a black bear and all he wanted to do was eat the berries in the tree. The crowd was far closer than the recommended 100 yards but this bear didn’t seem to mind. He was having a great time with the berries and the crowd was having a great time watching him.