(Image credit: Team 399)
Grizzly 399 is a mother bear who lives in the Grand Teton National Park and Bridger-Teton National Forest. She has fans far and wide who admire and respect her for her intelligence and endurance. Grizzly 399 is famous for three reasons: her longevity, her proximity to humans, and her mothering skills. Born in 1996, 399 is now 26 years old, but still going strong. While most grizzly bears produce two cubs at a time, 399 usually has triplets. But in 2020, she gave birth to four cubs at once!
One of 399's survival tactics is to bring her cubs to hang out near highways. This may seen counterintuitive, but it keeps the cubs away from the more remote adult male grizzlies, which can be way more dangerous to cubs than moving cars. She teaches her cubs to look both ways before crossing the road. During tourist season, the sight of a mama bear and four cubs will stop traffic in its tracks.
In April, 399 and her four cubs were seen and recorded after they emerged from their winter den. The cubs are two years old now, and almost as large as their 400-pound mother. They have since gone off on their own, with their mother's encouragement, which is only natural.
(Image credit: Team 399)
Grizzly 399 has been the subject of several children's books. She has her own Facebook page and Instagram gallery run by her fans, as well as plenty of videos you can find on YouTube.
#bear #grizzlybear #399 #GrandTetonNationalPark