Find Out Why Grizzly Bear 399 is SO FAMOUS! History of an Icon

Grizzly Bear #399 is an icon of not only Grand Teton National Park, but also of wildlife conservation. She has raised dozens of cubs in the Jackson Hole area, while also inspiring countless photographers, artists, and visitors. With her daughter, Grizzly Bear #610 occupying the same territory, the family has created an unprecedented relationship between visitors and wild animals. In this video I give a brief history of what makes Grizzly Bear 399 so special, and why so many people seek out the opportunity just to catch a glimpse of her.
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All photos copyright Mike Cavaroc, Free Roaming Photography, unless otherwise noted. No unauthorized copying is permitted.
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[@billbaker9190]

She emerged in May 2023 with a single cub

[@jessicaoppegard6578]

YAY LIFE IS GOOD 🖤🐻🖤

[@roblockhart8410]

No way! Is she still healthy?

[@videograss]

@@roblockhart8410 Very! Although this year she has been more elusive than i have ever witnessed in my 10 years of being a wildlife guide...

[@duggiesmith4043]

The other one was delicious

[@stephanieherbert-ux1kv]

Thank you Tom and PBS. I have been following from afar for 5 years. I have never seen her in person. Tom, I can see the love you have for her, this show brought tears to my eyes.

[@suevajgrt342]

Long life 399. ❤

[@corinleman5607]

😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢Trist 399❤❤🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@birez6625]

Bears are my favorite animal and I love this reverent video to a lineage of Grizzly bears

[@FreeRoamingPhoto]

Thank you! They're incredible animals.

[@gaypatterson4446]

Great work. Wish I could take a tour with you!

[@FreeRoamingPhoto]

Thank you! I'd love for you to as well if you ever find the opportunity!

[@vincebotkin1960]

I got to see Felicia 863 back in 21 on a hillside with her two cubs in Bridger-Teton

[@FreeRoamingPhoto]

Fantastic! Congrats on seeing her! She's also quite a beautuful bear.

[@MoutainGuyAdventures]

Nice vid. I’ve been lucky to see her the last 4 years in the spring. Cool channel. New sub👍👍

[@FreeRoamingPhoto]

Thanks a bunch! And congrats on getting to see her so regularly! She's certainly a special bear.

[@MoutainGuyAdventures]

@@FreeRoamingPhoto Yeah. I’ve been lucky. Fingers crossed this year we will see her again.

[@FreeRoamingPhoto]

Likewise!

[@stewartbonner]

Here in western Canada we have a famous grizzly named ' The Boss'. A full grown adult male and bigger then the usual. His range is all 3 national parks, Banff,Jasper and YoHo. That is about the size of Oregon. When he is spotted several pro photographers go out and get great pics. This is because you can get within 100 yards of him. he seems to ignore humans and pretty much everything else around him. Nobody has tested that distance however. .Ate a couple black bears and killed another grizzly last year. There is a second slightly smaller grizzly bear called 'Split Lip'. The Boss and Split Lip have been trying to kill each other for several years. The Boss has won the fights and Split Lip will fight but Split Lip can out run him so Split Lip usually runs off when he tires out. The Boss just overwhelms everything with huge power and weight. There are several videos of them here on YT and two of the fights they had.

[@FreeRoamingPhoto]

That sounds incredible! I'd love to either of those bears one day.

[@stewartbonner]

@@FreeRoamingPhoto both are usually seen along the highways and open areas in the spring eating dandelions and fresh grasses, moose calves and black bears. they move to the higher mountain side elevations as the summer progresses. where they eat mountain goat and sheep, marmots, any meat a grizzly can catch.

[@peterwallace9764]

Great to hear a safe, happy bear story. 🐻👍🏻🇦🇺

[@FreeRoamingPhoto]

Thank you! She's definitely a great inspiration for happy bear stories.

[@user-ql3ym9sj5n]

Thank you so much for such an amazing bit of information regarding bear 399. I can see why she is such an enigma. I absolutely loved this story, and hope that bears and man will come to a greater understanding. It's imperative. Thank you again.

[@FreeRoamingPhoto]

Thank you and I certainly hope so too!

[@user-cv6zc7cz3j]

Awesome.

[@FreeRoamingPhoto]

Thank you!

[@janczekaj2077]

Thanks for the great video! Is there an online community that updates sighting of her? We are going in June and would love to be able to see her.

[@FreeRoamingPhoto]

Thank you for the comment! Unfortunately I don't know of one. I typically keep tabs on her through personal encounters and other photographers.

[@billbaker9190]

She has a face book page

[@terryjohnson9019]

great job on the video nice pictures informative good idea passing along the Knoll age that "a fed bear is a dead bear" hope people will follow the rules so these beautiful animals can continue to live freely in their natural habitat.

[@FreeRoamingPhoto]

Thank you! Me too.

[@ramjet5192]

Good video, Mike.

[@FreeRoamingPhoto]

Thank you!

[@tedfurlo2268]

"Thank you", just doesn't quite 'say it'. Mike Cavaroc, your humility and honor are admirable(Oh yeah, you're a 'pretty OK' photographer too(!).

[@FreeRoamingPhoto]

Thank you for the kind words and my pleasure!

[@sandrasalas9813]

Fierce Warrior Princess

[@FreeRoamingPhoto]

Well said!

[@jo-annewilkinson5663]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@ritalittle4838]

Has anyone seen her this year?

[@FreeRoamingPhoto]

She has been out this year, but only briefly.

[@user-sk9mf9wi8z]

I guess humans & bears have something in common after all. Your chances of multiples rises as you age.

[@FreeRoamingPhoto]

There's a lot more in common as well!

[@arianebolt1575]

She's had three sets of triplets before. I think it's just her.

[@markbenn1907]

How do people know it’s her when they see a grizzly?

[@FreeRoamingPhoto]

That's a really great question! There's a few ways. First is that she frequents certain areas along roadsides, particularly in certain times of the year. When she does, she usually has her cub(s) in tow, so people assume from that that it's her. When she doesn't have cubs with her, she tends to disappear into the wilderness. More specifically though, she's occasionally "tagged" by the Grizzly Bear Interagency Committee for research (as are many other bears in the area), at which point, she'll be given ear tags for identification. If those are present, those are a pretty good indicator as well. However those usually only last about a year or two. Lastly she has features specific to her. In addition to a dark brown coat, she also has a small scar on the left side of her snout from a fight many years ago. All those, combined with her patterns and behavior are what conclude people who follow her around regularly to safely conclude that it's her and not another random bear. Once you've seen multiple grizzlies regularly, you can begin to distinguish one from another through physical features and behavior.

[@duggiesmith4043]

What a great bear rug, bear ham's YUM

[@FreeRoamingPhoto]

It's obvious you have a lot of pain in your life. Hang in there. It'll get better.

[@robertwaid3579]

A Very Nicely done Piece 🧩🧩 that You have produced on the Fame of Miss 399 and Her History. Keep us informed and Good Luck Over there in Millionaire Villages. Personally Jackson use too be Cool 😎😉😎 quite quaint and Kinda Homey. Now a Day's it a Trap for all the Moronic Idiot's that Have way Too much Money 💰 🤑💰 & Credit Card Power, whereby even the Blue 🔵💙 Collared Work People Have too Commute a Hundred Miles a Day to Work There. OH well Such is Life Now in The Hole. Good Luck to #399 & Her Future.

[@FreeRoamingPhoto]

Thank you for the kind words! And yes, Jackson has changed quite a bit.

[@tomscott3]

There was a mountain lion of similar fame, P-22, who lived in the LA area but died at the end of 2022. Very Best Regards, Tom Scott Author ● Speaker ● World's Leading Expert on the Corrupt U.S. Legal System _Our American Injustice System_ _Stack the Legal Odds in Your Favor_

[@100mphFastball]

We’re all here because she emerged to massive tik tok fame this week.

[@FreeRoamingPhoto]

This week? She's been massively famous for years! Glad to hear it finally spread to tiktok though.

[@sigdorseysigler3982]

I saw her this year with one cub at a safe distance of 250 yards. I believe she made history once again as the oldest grizzly bear to have reproduced. She has a big following of wildlife poperotsies.

[@FreeRoamingPhoto]

That's fantastic! Congrats on seeing her! She's definitely a special bear.

[@andrewwerner2061]

Wonder how 399 and the rest of the living cubs are doing 😪😪😪😪😢😪😢😪😢😭😭😭😭😪😢