Grizzly 399: Alpine, Star Valley Cover Photo, 2025

Grizzlies, a subspecies of the North American brown bear, were at risk of rapid extinction several decades ago, due to the rate at which the population was declining. Now, however, the species is enjoying a population rebound after they were designated an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. There are now approximately 2,000 grizzly bears in the contiguous United States, about half of which are estimated to live in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Grizzlies are stereotyped as ferocious, but the typical bear avoids contact with humans, living away from settlements, attacking only to protect themselves when startled by a human. But, some bears break lots of rules- this is the story of one such bear.

On the evening of October 22, 2024, a mature female grizzly bear was fatally struck by a vehicle on Highway 26/89 in Snake River Canyon, south of Jackson, Wyoming. The incident was hardly isolated, after all, accidents between bears and vehicles are among the leading cause of their death. Having any bear die in such a manner is never pleasant, but when this bear passed, it marked the end of a remarkable era. This was no ordinary bear; this was Grizzly 399, a very famous bear, who lived her life in close proximity and full view of generations of park visitors.  Grizzly 399  became a celebrity, an icon of her species’ magnificent past, followed by her legion of fans through social media, books and film. She became a recognizable face of an endangered species, living her life on federal land in a hundred-mile ecosystem throughout the Grand Teton National Park and the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Born during the winter of 1996 in a den in Pilgrim Creek, Wyoming, Grizzly 399, the 399^th bear tracked by the project, was captured in 2011, by the interagency Grizzly Study Team and fitted with a radio collar to be tracked via radio telemetry. In 2018, radio monitoring ceased, but the research continued since she resided in an area where she was easily observed. When standing upright on her hind legs, she was 7’ 0” (2.13 m) and weighed almost 400 pounds (180 kg.)

Grizzlies typically give birth to singles or to twins, but 399 regularly gave birth to triplets. In May 2020, she was observed with four new cubs born the previous winter, her largest brood yet. Having more cubs often creates a paradoxical effect on the bear population; a mother bear with three cubs expends significantly more energy in their care, potentially decreasing rather than increasing their survival rate. However, Grizzly 399, handled triplets well.

On May 16, 2023, Grizzly 399 emerged from hibernation in the Pilgrim Creek area of Grand Teton National Park with a single cub. At either 26 or 27, she became the oldest female grizzly known to reproduce in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. She died at the ripe old age of 28, significantly older than most grizzlies. It has been reported that “more than 85 percent of them (bears) are killed because of some kind of human activity before they reach old age.”

One of her triplet cubs, tagged and known as Grizzly 610 also grew to be a prolific mother. In 2011, Grizzly 610 had twins, while Grizzly 399 had another set of triplets. Researchers feared for the cubs because of her advanced age, but to their surprise Grizzly 610 amicably adopted one of her mother’s triplet cubs. One of 399’s 2017 twin cubs, numbered 964, was relocated to Yellowstone in 2019, and was spotted with twins in 2023. Grizzly 610’s grand- daughter, numbered 926, bore twins in 2023. Grizzly 399’s total offspring included 22 cubs and grand cubs.

Unlike the typical grizzly, she lived in close proximity to humans, but was not particularly concerned with their presence. Scientists have speculated that she may have wanted to avoid a more remote area where a cab may have died. She taught her cubs habits which allowed them to benefit from, rather than to be harmed, by human proximity. Together they learned to loiter and consume abandoned elk innards during the fall elk hunt, and to look both ways before crossing roadways to avoid being struck by vehicles. Grizzly 399 was usually found along the roadside near the Oxbow Bend of the Snake River. The number of photographers following her grew to approximately 40–50 by 2015, and was considered the “grand matriarch of the park’s roadside bears.”

A PBS television crew followed her between May 2020 and the spring of 2023, filming footage in her natural habitat. Their resulting documentary, “Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons” aired on May 8, 2024. This one-hour episode of “Nature” featured dialogue between photographers, conservationists, biologists, residents, ranchers, and other concerned individuals discussing the impact of 399 and her four cubs on the community, triggering a debate over de-listing grizzlies as an endangered species. The episode was nominated for an Emmy Award in the Outstanding Nature Documentary category.  

“Grizzly 399: The Story of a Remarkable Bear,” written by Sylvia M. Medina, is a children’s book published in May 2020. Illustrated by Morgan Spicer, it includes photographs by American nature and wildlife photographer, Thomas D. Mangelsen. A subsequent book by the same author, illustrator and photographer in April 2021 including Grizzly 399’s new cubs, is titled, “Grizzly 399’s Hibernation Pandemonium” after the 24-year-old mother bear surprised the world with the birth of four more cubs in the spring of 2020.

Thomas D. Mangelsen collaborated with Wilkinson in 2015 to create “Grizzlies of Pilgrim Creek,” a book about Grizzly 399 and her progeny. For over ten years, Mangelsen prioritized recording her life, including her hibernation schedule, feeding, and mothering. During this time he recorded the birth of three sets of triplets and a set of twins. His photographs, especially, “An Icon of Motherhood“, helped make her the most famous mother grizzly- maybe the most famous grizzly- in the world. Millions visit the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem just to see grizzly bears, and Grizzly 399 was the star of the show.

By 2015, Grizzly 399 had a full social media presence, although it was a mystery who ran the accounts. She had her own Facebook page, Instagram account, and a Twitter handle. “These aren’t just any bears,” explained global wildlife photographer, Thomas D. Mangelsen, “They might be the most famous grizzlies alive today on the planet. For all these people, catching a glimpse of them is the thrill of a lifetime.” “Grizzly 399 dispelled the stereotype that all grizzlies are agents of terror,” wrote Bozeman author Todd Wilkinson, “she’s more well-behaved a lot of times than people around her. But she’s wild.”

 The Grand Teton Wildlife Brigade was created in 2007 in response to the magnitude of visitors coming to Grand Teton to view Grizzly 399 and her cubs. Their mission is to keep animals and people apart and safe. In 2011, ranger Kate Wilmot, whose official title is “bear management specialist,” said that that year things had become “completely chaotic.” Their real duty is to manage the behavior of park visitors. 

Wilmot directs 16 volunteers in the brigade from summer until snowfall. If not for the brigadiers, she says, “wildlife watching would be a mess.” Though the brigadiers carry bear spray, their primary role is to persuade tourists to respect the 100-yard viewing guideline, which was established after Grizzly 610, 399’s daughter, twice “charged” tourists who got too close. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Brigadiers keep visitors from feeding the bears, which is illegal, since if bears receive food from people, they can become habituated to humans and often become more aggressive. Brigadiers mostly remind tourists of their role in respecting bears’ space, and their success can be measured in the rarity of major incidents and bear removals from the park.

Grizzley 399’s identity was confirmed through ear tags and a microchip. Most of her ashes were scattered in Grand Teton National Park. The cover art for Discover Star Valley, Alpine edition was drawn by local outdoor and western artist, Doug Monson, owner of Western Skies Art Galley in Afton and reproduced with his permission.

Source: Generously taken from Wikipedia: Grizzly 399, Feb. 7, 2026