Mourners From Across Country Attend Candlelight Vigil For Grizzly 399 In Jackson

JACKSON — Snowy weather and somber emotions didn’t stop more than 200 people from gathering in Jackson’s Public Square for a candlelight vigil for Grizzly 399 on Saturday night. 

Some came from far away to remember and memorialize the world’s most famous bear, killed Oct. 22 when she was hit by a car on Highway 26/89 in the Snake River Canyon.

Sarah Hughes traveled from Covington, Kentucky, to find some closure in the aftermath of the grizzly's death. 

“A photographer notified me that a celebration of life was going to be held Saturday at 6 p.m. in Jackson Hole,” she told Cowboy State Daily. “I booked a flight, got a hotel, got a rental vehicle and got here as quick as I could.”

Hughes and several others came from across the country to attend the vigil in person. They were driven by anemotional bond to Grizzly 399 and the legacy she leaves behind.

“I felt like it was important just to be here,” Hughes said. “To remember 399 and the legacy that she leaves behind.”

‘My Bear’

Oregon resident Sheila Franklin had never been on an airplane until her daughter told her about the vigil for 399.

“My daughter has asked me to fly with her numerous times,” she said. “I have always told her no because I'm scared to death of flying. But when she called me Monday, she said, ‘Are you ready to make the flight? Because (the Grizzly 399 vigil) is this Saturday. And I said, ‘Book me a ticket.’”

Franklin had seen Grizzly 399 several times during previous visits to Jackson and the Grand Tetons. Like Hughes, she hoped to find a sense of closure by attending the vigil in person.

“I’ve cried every night since she died,” she said. “She meant a lot to me, watching her in the wild raising her cubs. I think a lot of human mothers could learn from how she raised her cubs and how loving she was towards them.”

Franklin openly cried during the Saturday evening vigil, sharing her story those standing beside her. She felt the journey and the vigil provided much-needed comfort in the wake of Grizzly 399’s sudden death from a vehicle strike on Oct. 22.

“We have followed 399 for the last seven years,” she said. “We come out here every five months, watching her and seeing her come out and going back into the den with her cubs. That was my bear.”

So Much For So Many

Syler Peralta-Ramos, owner of Pangea Expeditions, was one of the organizers of the vigil. He said the event was planned as a way for the extended community to mourn their loss.

“There were a lot of smaller events for the smaller, tightknit community of wildlife watchers here,” he said. “I felt like there was a need for the broader community to have an event as well. A lot of people are hurting and wanting a place to come together and be together in this community.”

Syler said he hoped the vigil would be “a moment” for Jackson and the world to recognize the impact of Grizzly 399, both in the hearts of her many admirers and on the conservation of grizzlies and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

“Grizzly 399 has done for so many people around the world,” he said. “All kinds of people from all over the place. We wanted this to be an event for everyone to feel like they have a space to come together as a community. That’s the beautiful thing about 399 — she's provided so much for so many.”

The Inevitable Day

The first speaker was wildlife photographer Tom Mangelsen, who was described as “Grizzly 399’s most dedicated photographer” during a virtual memorial held by the producers of Nature on PBS.

“I spoke to a woman who said she came from Texas and another one that came from Florida,” he said. “That girl touched a lot of hearts. I see a lot of faces here that I recognize from being out there on the highway or in the field. Thank you all for coming here to honor her.”

Mangelsen described Oct. 22 as “a day we all feared would come.”

“From the beginning, we hoped (this day) would be far into the future,” he said. “A day, regardless of the circumstances, that was inevitable. Near midnight on Oct. 22, the most famous grizzly bear that ever lived was killed 25 miles south of Jackson. She was almost 29 years old. 

“Her story has circled the globe. She became a symbol of hope, resilience and much-needed coexistence between humanity and the natural world. For many, she has been our guide, teacher and inspiration.”

Mangelsen reminded the assembled mourners that Grizzly 399 had given birth to 18 cubs during her life. Even though fewer than half of her descendants are alive today, the “mama bear” successfully reared all but two of them to subadults.

Wildlife photographers eagerly followed Grizzly 399 as she navigated the complicated world of Grand Teton National Park and its visitors. Mangelsen described the feelings of satisfaction when she disappeared in the fall and the eagerness with which she was looked for every spring.

“For those of us who knew her ways, we watched as she disappeared into the forest,” he said. “In unison, we all gave a big sigh of relief, patted each other on the back, and exclaimed, ‘She's made it through another year.’ We knew she would still have miles to go.

As the seasons and years passed, more and more people would gather near Pilgrim Flats, waiting for her arrival. In Spring 2022, we spent 23 days from dawn till dusk, waiting and hoping (until) all five grizzlies came down Pilgrim Creek on a sunny afternoon,” he said, referring to 399 when she emerged with her four cubs. “We all cheered, popped a bottle of champagne and danced. She had done it again.”

There Will Never Be Another

Mangelsen used the memorial as an opportunity to advocate for the ongoing protection of grizzly bears. Grizzly 399’s life and death were evidence that the recovery and success of wild grizzlies are not guaranteed.

“We can and must now honor her by speaking out loudly against taking grizzlies off the protection of the Endangered Species List,” he said. “As I speak, the governors, legislators, game commissions, and Game and Fish departments of Wyoming and Montana are petitioning the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove ESA protection so grizzlies can be hunted again. We can no longer tolerate the cruelty and immoral treatment of her kind.”

Mangelsen said the grizzly population of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem has “been flat” and that the bears are being forced to forage in new areas because of climate change and an accelerating habitat loss. He hopes that the future conservation of grizzlies isn’t decided by laws and regulations “only pleasing a small minority group of hunters and outfitters.”

“We need a new paradigm of wildlife management in America,” he said. “We can no longer tolerate our cruelty to senselessly allow the killing of sentient, emotional beings who experience joy, fear, anger and sense of loss, and who feel pain just like us. It's not about population numbers. It's about humanity and treating animals with respect and compassion, not cruelty and inhumanity.”

Hughes said she was introduced to 399 through Mangelsen’s photography. She had a chance to meet him at the vigil and thank him for all he did to share the bear’s story with the world.

“He's truly her advocate,” she said. “She probably lived to the age of 28 because of Tom Mangelsen and his advocacy for her, and I wanted to thank him in person for all the advocacy that he's done for her and all grizzlies.”

Mangelsen concluded his remarks by describing the joy he sees in the eyes and voices of children when they spot a wild grizzly. 

He said the beauty of wildlife conservation is that “future generations can have the same wondrous experience” of spotting a bear in the wild, just like hundreds of thousands of people experienced with Grizzly 399.

“There will be no more waiting in winter and spring at Pilgrim Creek for her,” he said. “We will praise her and all she has given us. We will remember all she has taught us about her kind and celebrate every year, every season and every moment we had she blessed us with. There will never be another bear like 399. You'll never be forgotten. Rest in peace.”

Amelia Earhart Of Bears

After Mangelsen, other wildlife enthusiasts who followed Grizzly 399 shared their thoughts and feelings, adding more praise and accolades to the legendary bear. 

Tiffany Talbert, one of Mangelsen’s assistants, asked the crowd to reflect on what made Grizzly 399 so special.

“For me, she was an outstanding mother,” she said. “She was loving, caring, playful, protective. She was everything a bear mother should be. No. 2, her tolerance and patience for everyone here who navigated a crowded bear jam to get across the street, and she just moved through so gracefully. No. 3, she was an explorer bear. She traveled up and down, north, south, east and west. She was the Amelia Earhart of our bears.”

Bo Welden, a wildlife guide in Jackson, said he wanted “to wrap some things up and try not to make anybody cry anymore.” 

He compared the sensation of seeing Grizzly 399 to falling in love for the first time.

“Every time you got to see her, it was like you forgot to breathe,” he said. “You cried, you went home and you were like, ‘That happened. I was there, and I saw her, and she saw me, and we had this whole moment. That's it. I'm in love. I don't care, hook, line and sinker.’ And that giddiness continued all these years for all these people.”

But like so many first loves, they don’t always last. 

Welden was certain that Grizzly 399 “didn’t even know I existed or cared about her,” but that didn’t diminish the emotional attachments so many people formed with her.

“The rub of this analogy, that 399 is our collective first love, is that those first loves might not last,” he said. “We kind of know that going in, but it doesn’t matter. There was always this possibility that it could end.”

Welden validated the intense emotions from Grizzly 399’s death, saying it would be “a disservice” to her memory if people weren’t saddened and distraught by her passing.

“All of you beautiful weeping people standing here in the rain in western Wyoming — you're doing the right thing,” he said. “You're doing it for her. We will never forget her, but we will move forward. We will always remember our first loves because they were the catalyst that helped us understand what it means to love. 

“And I think 399 helped so many people understand what it means to fall in love with this place, what it means to fall in love with this community right here, and what it means to fall in love with one marvelous bear.”

Silence And Song

After the speakers finished their remarks, everyone was invited to light their candles in remembrance of Grizzly 399. Many people pulled out lighters and shared the flames with strangers standing near them until every face was illuminated with soft, flickering candlelight.

Candles alight, there were 399 seconds of silence in honor of Grizzly 399. Many people closed their eyes and bowed their heads, openly expressing their emotions while sheltering their candles from the sleet and cold breeze, as if to ensure the warmth and camaraderie of the silent moments wouldn’t be extinguished.

Finally, local performer Lynnette Turner-Parry ended the vigil with an emotional a cappella performance of “What a Wonderful World.”

“You're welcome to sing along with me,” she said, close to tears, “because I probably won't make it through it alone.”

Many stayed silent while listening to Turner-Parry sing, lost in their thoughts, only joining in on the final note. With that, the crowd slowly dispersed, sharing their stories and emotions as they left Public Square.

A Sense Of Peace

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Friday that Grizzly 399’s body had been cremated and  near Pilgrim Creek. Peralta-Ramos thought the news that her body had been treated respectfully added a much-needed feeling of resolution to the vigil.

“It feels like she's finally home,” he said. “It allows us all to not necessarily have a sense of closure, but a sense of peace. She will be in her home forever, and we can honor the legacy that she's left behind and cherish the memories that we all have.”

Hughes “never had the honor” of seeing Grizzly 399 herself despite many hopeful trips to Jackson. She forged her connection to the famous bear through the photography of Mangelsen and many others.

“It’s her nature, her intellect, how she cared for her cubs,” she said. “I think she brings something out in humanity that people need something to be joyful about. There’s a lot out there that’s tough right now. Things are contentious. Grizzly 399 is something everyone can enjoy and be fond of together.”

Contact Andrew Rossi at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com

Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.