"Natural World" Through My Camera: REMEMBERING 399

Final Update - There was a candlelight vigil held Saturday, November 11 at the public square in Jackson. It was attended by approximately 200 people. Some came from as far away as Florida. They were all hoping to find closure to the loss of 399. Mourners From Across Country Attend Candlelight Vigil For Grizzly 399 In Jackson | Cowboy State Daily. So much has been written about 399 in the short time since her death that I will not attempt to add more. If anyone wants more information a Google search will provide volumes.

I want to share this lovely photo taken by Sarah at the well-known Oxbow Bend turnout on the Snake River. It was near this vantage point that we first saw 399 in 2008. The beauty of this area can be breathtaking...

Upon our arrival in the park in 2018 we kept a close watch for 399 and the two cubs that she was reported to have birthed in 2016. We got our first glimpse of them near Colter Bay...

Her cubs had transformed into long-legged, rangy, sub-adults almost ready to strike out in search of a territory of their own...

I enjoyed seeing them with snow on the ground...

The snow quickly melted, but luckily for us the bears continued to forage in their usual haunts...

When in the open meadows the bears spend most of their time smelling and digging. Grizzlies and black bears are omnivores and on a constant search for food and enough calories to see them through the next winter...

One sometimes-pleasant aspect of the bear jams is the interaction with other folks...

Some are from other countries where the fame of 399 has reached. Often times they gather together speaking in their native language. I have no idea what they are saying until I hear the word "399". I guess that sounds the same in all languages.

One summer I was talking to a family, none of whom had seen a grizzly bear. I mentioned that if they were patient, we were in a good position to see her "up close". A short time later she obliged us by wandering by at not more than 20 yards...

A day or two later I encountered the same family, and the father told me that he was profoundly moved by having 399 and cubs so close that he considered it a life changing experience. I don't pretend to understand what he meant, but he was not the first person that I heard make a similar comment.

In 2018 another grizzly mom appeared with her cubs of the year (COY). This was bear 793, also called Blondie...

No one knew much about Blondie, she just appeared on the scene one day and never left. I mentioned her in a previous post and talked about 399 trying to chase her away. Now she was back and with cubs of her own...

I was amused by the reactions of these siblings to a loud motorcycle. One is startled and wants to run, while the other is defiant and bares its teeth...

One thing that mystified me on our first visits to Yellowstone and Grand Teton was how people knew the identity of the bears...

The answer was partly social media, partly net-working, and partly experience. The bears and wolves that are often visible have very dedicated fans who post about their observations on Face Book. There are several sites dedicated to sharing sightings and photographs...

There are numerous locals who come to the parks often to observe and photograph their favorites. Most of the locals share information with each other via cell phone. After a time, we were included in a few of these networks...

After repeated exposures to the same animals one learns what to look for, such as the presence of ear tags and radio collars. Even distinctive physical features like coloration, or a torn ear, or other battle scars become familiar...

For fans of 399, the year 2020 was nothing short of amazing. This legendary bear, 24 years old at the time, came out of hibernation with four tiny cubs in tow.

Because we did not make our usual trip that year because of COVID-19 concerns we missed seeing the cubs, and the chaotic scene created by the record number of visitors.

We looked forward to our visit in 2021 and made our reservations as early as possible. On our first full day in the park word reached us that 399 was visible near Leaks marina, we headed that way, along with numerous others.

As often happens, 399 and cubs had just wandered out of sight in an easterly direction. Cheryl suggested that we explore the area at the end of Dump Road where we had seen her often in past years...

Cheryl's intuition proved correct. We had barely arrived when 399 and cubs came into view. This time, instead of dealing with a crowd, for a while we enjoyed watching them in solitude...

It is no exaggeration to say that we had grizzly bears feeding all around us. Each cub was searching for a tasty grub, ant, or root and paid us no mind as we sat quietly watching from our vehicle...