Wyoming’s most famous wild critters, Grizzly 399 and her cub Spirit, are back — and the cub has grown to a “gigantic” size for its age, a photography tour guide said.
After staying out of the public eye for about a month, the pair reappeared this week. They have been gorging on abundant forage in Teton National Park, Tristen Moffett of Jackson told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday. She runs Roam Wild Photo Tours in Teton and Yellowstone parks.
“They look fantastic,” Moffett said. “They popped up for the first time in about month and they look great. Her cub is the biggest COY (cub of the year) that I’ve ever seen. He – at least I think it’s a he – is absolutely gigantic.”
Old Mama, Big Baby
At age 27, 399 is old for a grizzly, as few of her species make it into their 30s. So, there was some concern this spring as her worldwide fanbase wondered whether she would emerge from hibernation, or if she’d died over the winter.
She laid those worries to rest May 16, when emerged alive and well, and with a new cub in tow.
That made her the oldest grizzly momma on record.
There was some speculation that she’d mated with a king-sized Teton grizzly called Bruno the previous fall. That could account for her cub’s exceptional size.
The only bears to be assigned official numbers, like 399, are those that are captured for study by wildlife biologists. Others, such as her new cub, are left to be named — or not — by the public.
There was much debate over what to call the cub. Some popular possibilities included Rowdy and Miracle. But eventually, Spirit won out.
Jackson locals tend to not use the bears’ popular names. So at least locally, the pair is known as “Grizzly 399 and cub,” Moffett said.
Lots Of Berries Too
Among visitors and others, the cub is called Spirit, wildlife photographer Jorn Vangoidtsenhoven told Cowboy State Daily.
“They’re doing great. Now that the berries have ripened, 399 and Spirit have been seen daily in the national park area of Willow Fats to Oxbow Bend, eating berries. Spirit looks great and has grown considerably,” he said.
“A little surprising is that Grizzly 610 (399’s daughter from a previous litter) and her three yearling cubs have also been enjoying berries in the same area,” Vangoidtsenhoven added.
Grizzlies throughout Teton and Yellowstone parks seem to appreciate the wild berries, Moffett said.
“I’ve noticed in the past few days, we’re definitely having an early crop of berries, both in Yellowstone and the Tetons,” she said. “The bears are going in hard on the berries already. Usually, the bears do that toward the very end of august, but we started noticing that about a week ago.”
Rainy Summer, Big Benefits
Nutrient-rich grasses have also been on the menu, Moffett said. She shared a video and photo she’d taken this week of 399 and her cub, looking contented in a field of grass practically up to their chins.
This spring and summer has seen an unusual amount of rain, and that’s led to a bumper crop of forage that’s benefited wildlife, as well as big game species.
