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Yahoo
a day ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Commentary: The disappearing home and doomed fate of a Grand Teton bear
They called it paradise. The place to be. A mountain realm like no other. A place where the spectacular Teton range rises 6,000 feet above the valley floor, offering one of the most distinct and dramatic mountain fronts in the world. Below the striking peaks, the mighty Snake River meanders through a sagebrush valley dotted with aspen and pine. And it is here that I once met a great grizzly bear. She was known as Grizzly 399. I've been filming in Grand Teton National Park and the Northern Rockies for 20 years. A few years ago, I had the honor of filming 399 when she had her quadruplets. It was the first trip I'd made to Grand Teton to specifically see the great bear. And the last. Why the last? Because I saw what was happening. Could feel what was happening. I wanted to give the great bear space. I didn't want to be chasing her around the park, waiting in my car with heated leather seats, hoping she'd cross the road, all the while hemming her in. I knew what was happening. Full-size commercial jets were flying overhead, landing at an international airport that should never even be there. Dropping off passengers to a growing town that wasn't meant to be there. Driving to stores that should have never been built there. For 28 years, Grizzly 399's world shrunk all around her. Slowly, year by year, she had to make adjustments to the sprawl and greed of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. To the sprawl and greed of the human race. She did the best she could as we humans closed in. As we built more and more storage facilities and hotels and developed properties merely for vacation rentals, we could stuff more cash in our pockets, ultimately sacrificing in the process one of the most beautiful places the world has ever known. She raised her cubs in all this for decades. Navigated through it all, a steady ship in a stormy sea — each wave just a little taller than the last. And yet the people came. More full-size commercial airliners roaring into an international airport. Dropping off people who wanted to 'own a piece of the Tetons.' But when you buy or develop a house next to a national park, you don't capture a piece of that park. You ruin it. What had once been a wild valley slowly turned into the suburbs, and Grizzly 399 handled it all with aplomb. She didn't have to. But she did. More and more photographers swarmed to the Tetons to see her every year. More and more 'investment properties' went up, causing more people to drive the roadways. More stores were built. More drones flew overhead. More airplanes roared in the sky. Each year, her world shrunk. And this past fall, it finally closed in on her. That poor driver didn't kill the great Grizzly 399. We did. You see, Grizzly 399 was not just a bear. She was a symbol of a truly wild animal trying to hang on in a changing world, a world that is all about 'me, me, I, I' and very little of 'Why?' or 'What can I do to help?' This is a world where if the stores start to fade or look a little old, we build the exact same stores 2 miles down the road. And 10 years later, we do it again. And again. Until that's all there is. It never stops. Our need to consume, to stuff our pockets. To turn prairie meadows into self-storage facilities. To pave over everything that is true and wild. To pave over what is real. Grizzly 399 deserved better. The single best way you and I can honor her amazing legacy is to look at what happened to Grand Teton. And not repeat it elsewhere. We can honor her legacy by protecting our national parks by not bringing sprawl to their doorsteps. We can honor her legacy by pulling back on our obsessive need to develop everything and finally showing some tact and humility — the same way she did when dealing with us. You see, Grizzly 399 was so much more than a bear. She is a lesson. And she is teaching us all, still. Always had been teaching us. Because that's just what a great mother does. ____ Michael Hodges, a native of the Chicago area, is a novelist, photographer and Facebook influencer. ___
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Photos: 'Miracle' grizzly bear cub reappears again in Grand Teton National Park
By now, many have heard about Grizzly Bear 1063 losing two of her yearling triplets to an attack by a male grizzly bear earlier this month in Grand Teton National Park. The carcasses were discovered by park staff on May 13 near Colter Bay. Both showed signs of predation by a larger bear. If that weren't sad enough, the third cub was missing and presumed by many to be dead. But on May 15, Grizzly 1063 was spotted crossing a paved road with her lone-surviving cub. Many refer to the cub as 'Miracle.' All of this was on my mind last week when I visited the park with my brother, and specifically after a park employee at Colter Bay informed us at a picnic site that a momma grizzly with a cub had recently been spotted nearby. Thirty minutes later, as we drove from the bay toward the main highway, we encountered a traffic jam caused by a bear sighting in the trees. We caught just a glimpse of the bears as a ranger and bear-management team dispersed the crowd. ALSO: Can you spot the rattlesnake in Arizona homeowners' garage? The ranger blared a siren to drive both bears back into the trees because they were close to an employee housing complex and guest accommodations. On a hunch, less than an hour later, we returned to the Colter Bay road and almost immediately, Grizzly 1063 and her cub emerged near our vehicle. My brother slowly maneuvered the SUV to allow the bears to cross and I managed a single photo burst through my 400-millimeter lens before we saw several vehicles, following a park vehicle with flashing lights, speeding in our direction. We drove on as the bears safely crossed and vanished into the forest before the park vehicle and bear paparazzi arrived. Later, while looking at my photo sequence, I was delighted to see that the cub was almost fully hidden by momma bear at first, but slowly revealed in subsequent images. Note that Grizzly 1063's hind legs appear thicker than they might otherwise appear in the top image, and that the tiniest portion of the cub's rump is visible. In the next image, more of the cub's rump comes into view as momma bear leads the way across the road. In each image, more of the cub is revealed, and when the cub is fully visible, viewers might note that the yearling bruin bears a striking resemblance to mom. While these roadside encounters are thrilling and allow tourists to view some of the park's magnificent bears at close range, they're also bittersweet. That's because some momma bears remain near roads, at times, to keep their cubs safe from aggressive male bears that typically avoid humans and vehicle traffic. (Male grizzly bears sometimes kill cubs as an expression of dominance or because momma bears without cubs can become more receptive to mating attempts.) Sadly, roadside bears are vulnerable to vehicle strikes. As many wildlife aficionados know, the world-famous Grizzly 399, which produced 18 cubs in or near Grand Teton National Park throughout her life, was fatally struck by a vehicle outside the park last October. In late April early May, one of Grizzly 399's male offspring, Grizzly 1058, was struck by a vehicle inside the park. She hobbled into a willow thicket and her body was discovered days later by National Park Service employees. Here's hoping that Grizzly Bear 1063 and her miracle cub can avoid that kind of tragic ending. This article originally appeared on For The Win: 'Miracle' grizzly bear cub in Grand Teton reappears again, photos show
Chicago Tribune
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Michael Hodges: The disappearing home and doomed fate of a Grand Teton bear
They called it paradise. The place to be. A mountain realm like no other. A place where the spectacular Teton range rises 6,000 feet above the valley floor, offering one of the most distinct and dramatic mountain fronts in the world. Below the striking peaks, the mighty Snake River meanders through a sagebrush valley dotted with aspen and pine. And it is here that I once met a great grizzly bear. She was known as Grizzly 399. I've been filming in Grand Teton National Park and the Northern Rockies for 20 years. A few years ago, I had the honor of filming 399 when she had her quadruplets. It was the first trip I'd made to Grand Teton to specifically see the great bear. And the last. Why the last? Because I saw what was happening. Could feel what was happening. I wanted to give the great bear space. I didn't want to be chasing her around the park, waiting in my car with heated leather seats, hoping she'd cross the road, all the while hemming her in. I knew what was happening. Full-size commercial jets were flying overhead, landing at an international airport that should never even be there. Dropping off passengers to a growing town that wasn't meant to be there. Driving to stores that should have never been built there. For 28 years, Grizzly 399's world shrunk all around her. Slowly, year by year, she had to make adjustments to the sprawl and greed of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. To the sprawl and greed of the human race. She did the best she could as we humans closed in. As we built more and more storage facilities and hotels and developed properties merely for vacation rentals, so we could stuff more cash in our pockets, ultimately sacrificing in the process one of the most beautiful places the world has ever known. She raised her cubs in all this for decades. Navigated through it all, a steady ship in a stormy sea. Each wave just a little taller than the last. And yet the people came. More full-size commercial airliners roaring into an international airport. Dropping off people who wanted to 'own a piece of the Tetons.' But when you buy or develop a house next to a national park, you don't capture a piece of that park. You ruin it. Megan Ross: Changes to the Endangered Species Act clear a path for species to go extinctWhat had once been a wild valley slowly turned into the suburbs, and Grizzly 399 handled it all with aplomb. She didn't have to. But she did. More and more photographers swarmed to the Tetons to see her every year. More and more 'investment properties' went up, causing more people to drive the roadways. More stores were built. More drones flew overhead. More airplanes roared in the sky. Each year, her world shrunk. And this past fall, it finally closed in on her. That poor driver didn't kill the great Grizzly 399. We did. You see, Grizzly 399 was not just a bear. She was a symbol of a truly wild animal trying to hang on in a changing world, a world that is all about 'me, me, I, I' and very little of 'Why?' or 'What can I do to help?' This is a world where if the stores start to fade or look a little old, we build the stores 2 miles down the road. And 10 years later, we do it again. And again. Until that's all there is. It never stops. Our need to consume, to stuff our pockets. To turn prairie meadows into self-storage facilities. To pave over everything that is true and wild. To pave over what is real. Grizzly 399 deserved better. The single best way you and I can honor her amazing legacy is to look at what happened to Grand Teton. And not repeat it elsewhere. We can honor her legacy by protecting our national parks by not bringing sprawl to their doorsteps. We can honor her legacy by pulling back on our obsessive need to develop everything and finally showing some tact and humility — . You see, Grizzly 399 was so much more than a bear. She is a lesson. And she is teaching us all, still. Always had been teaching us. Because that's just what a great mother does.
USA Today
22-05-2025
- General
- USA Today
Grizzly bear relocated near Yellowstone National Park after attacking cattle
Grizzly bear relocated near Yellowstone National Park after attacking cattle Show Caption Hide Caption 5-year-old grizzly bear found dead in Grand Teton National Park A 5-year-old grizzly bear known as Grizzly 1058, the son of the world-famous Grizzly 399, has been found dead in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park. unbranded - Newsworthy A grizzly bear that Wyoming wildlife officials said was continuously attacking cattle was captured and relocated to a location near Yellowstone National Park last week. According to a press release from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the adult male grizzly bear was captured after state wildlife officials consulted with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Officials said the bear was captured due to "cattle depredation on private land." The Wyoming Game and Fish Department did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's questions regarding the number of cattle damaged by the relocated bear. The release continued, saying that the bear was relocated to the Glade Creek drainage, some 2.5 miles south of Yellowstone National Park. Why are grizzly bears relocated? According to wildlife officials, the relocation of these bears is done in order to "minimize conflicts between humans and grizzly bears." "Game and Fish consults with appropriate agencies to minimize the chance of future conflicts and maximize the relocated grizzly bear's survival," the release said. Wildlife officials also said that before a bear is relocated, its age, sex and type of conflict are taken into account before choosing its new home. Human encounters with grizzly bears becoming more common Although not an encounter between a grizzly bear and cattle, incidents between grizzly bears and humans have become more common in Western states. In April, a man shot and killed a female grizzly bear in Montana after state wildlife officials said she charged at him. The man was "shed hunting," or looking for antlers shed by deer, elk and other animals, when he saw the bear on a "brushy hillside," according to a news release issued by the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. "As he was leaving the area, the bear charged him at close range," the agency said. "He shot and killed the bear. Fortunately, the man was uninjured." Officials said the incident happened in north-central Montana near Dupuyer, about 70 miles south of the Canadian border. Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
USA Today
16-05-2025
- General
- USA Today
Yellowstone grizzly killed by rangers after learning to open trash cans
Yellowstone grizzly killed by rangers after learning to open trash cans Adult bears cannot be relocated, so this 800-pound adult male had to be euthanized to protect the public, rangers said. Show Caption Hide Caption 5-year-old grizzly bear found dead in Grand Teton National Park A 5-year-old grizzly bear known as Grizzly 1058, the son of the world-famous Grizzly 399, has been found dead in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park. unbranded - Newsworthy An adult grizzly bear that figured out how to flip 800-pound garbage Dumpsters and other trash cans to find food inside has been euthanized by Yellowstone National Park rangers. Rangers said the 11-year-old male bear posed a safety risk to park visitors and other bears after overturning trash containers in the Old Faithful area of the park. Rangers very rarely have to take such drastic action, and said this was the first time since 2017 they'd had to trap and kill a grizzly for safety reasons. 'The decision to kill the bear was made to ensure public safety and reduce the chances of other bears becoming habituated to human food,' rangers said in a statement. Wildlife experts typically use non-lethal methods for keeping grizzlies and other wildlife away from people and trash, including noisemakers or even pepper spray. Trapping and killing a bear like this is considered a last resort, and while cubs can sometimes be moved or rehomed at a zoo or sanctuary, an adult male like this one was not a good candidate, rangers said. Like many places in the West where bears live, Yellowstone requires the use of bear-resistant trash containers. But those devices are not always 100% effective, rangers said. The bear was euthanized May 14. 'It's unfortunate that this bear began regularly seeking out garbage and was able to defeat the park's bear-resistant infrastructure,' Yellowstone bear management biologist Kerry Gunther said in a statement. 'We go to great lengths to protect bears and prevent them from becoming conditioned to human food. But occasionally, a bear outsmarts us or overcomes our defenses. When that happens, we sometimes have to remove the bear from the population to protect visitors and property.' Tourists crashing their cars into bears are among the leading cause of non-natural bear deaths in national parks, according to the National Park Service, one of the reasons rangers so strictly enforce speed limits within park boundaries.
