A Tribute To The Wold’s Most Famous Grizzly Bear; #399

"The most famous grizzly bear in the world!" as bear #399 has been called.  I had the pleasure of
photographing and watching her on two occasions in Grand Teton National Park. (click to enlarge)

Some people brag that they have had the opportunity to photograph a president, governor, mayor or even a famous actor or musician (I’ve done all that but don’t brag about it).  I do brag I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph, as she has been called, the “Queen of the Tetons.” Officially called Grizzly bear #399, I was fortunate enough to see her up close and photograph her and her yearling cub, Spirit, on June 1 and June 2, 2024.  These photos are from June 2nd.

Three ninety-nine was twenty-eight years old and still producing cubs.  Spirit was still with her at the time.  She was the oldest cub-bearing grizzly bear known.

When I was there, I met individuals who came from Europe and Asia just to see her.  She was that well-known.  PBS did a very nice program about here, which I watched again last month, entitled,  “Grizzly #399: Queen of the Tetons,”  It was part of their "Nature" series of programs.  It is well worth watching to get an idea of how special she was.

Unfortunately, she was so habituated, as were her series of cubs, that she and they lost most of their fear of humans and the human habitat.  Several of her cubs had to be euthanized because of their incursion into populated areas.  The price of fame, I guess.

#399 and her last cub, Spirit. (click to enlarge)

Notice the 'bear jam' in the background.  #399 and Spirit foraged in a field about 100 yards away
from my position, then started walking toward the road. (click to enlarge)

At her closest, I would estimate the two of them came within 40 ft. of my position.  Notice the older
guy not paying attention to where two GRIZZLY BEARS are––one car length away!
(click to enlarge)

A bit majestic, IMHO. (click to enlarge)

The two of them were pretty far away by this point but I did notice they started to play. I did my
best to capture that playfulness.  I worked and worked on this image and it is still
marginal at best.  I just like the gesture.  It is a 3mp crop from the 45.7mp file. (click to enlarge)

I was told that one of the reasons she 'hung around' humans as much as she did, was to protect her cubs.  Male grizzly bears, boars, will kill cubs produced by other males in order to only further their own blood line.  Boars also don't like to be around people.  So, when #399 would be in the area of people, her cubs would get some protection from them.

Unfortunately, about 4 1/2 months after I photographed her, on October 22, 2024), she was struck and killed by a motorist on a highway south of Jackson, Wyoming and not within the park boundaries.  Her last cub, Spirit, was not seen again and the speculation is the cub didn't survive long without its mother.  There was an indication the cub was not injured when its mother was stuck.

My two week trip to Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park was made primarily to photograph wildlife.  In the end, I saw and photographed 9 grizzly bears, two black bears, a cinnamon bear, numerous elk, lots of bison, badgers, coyotes, deer, eagles, and several other species.  Unfortunately, no wolves.  But the one photograph I had hoped to get, I did make it.  Grizzly bear #399.  I'll call my trip very successful.

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Thanks for looking. Enjoy!

Dennis A. Mook

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