For years, a grizzly called Raspberry was practically as dependable as Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone National Park.
She usually emerged in May, frequently with cubs and tow, and was highly visible from the road on the park’s east side.
After gaining a huge and loyal following she came to be regarded as “The Grizzly 399 of Yellowstone;” a peer of Wyoming’s most famous bear.
Last Seen …
Raspberry was last seen and photographed high up in the Sylvan Pass area on May 23, 2025. Her yearling cub, Little Bear, was with her.
There also hasn’t been a confirmed sighting of Little Bear since that day, although some say a bear that looks the right age to be Little Bear has been spotted in Raspberry’s favorite haunts.
A grizzly carcass was found in the area in early June 2025. Some were convinced that it was Raspberry. But others said no.
There were rumors that the teeth of the carcass were in too good a condition for a bear of Raspberry’s age, estimated to be 15 to 16 years old.
It was also said that tissue samples had been taken from the carcass for DNA testing. But it could take up to two years to confirm a possible match.
However, there isn’t DNA from Raspberry available for cross-checking, Yellowstone spokeswoman Linda Veress stated in an email to Cowboy State Daily.
"We collected DNA samples from the adult female grizzly bear that was killed by another bear in the Sylvan Pass area last summer. However, we never captured or handled the bear that some photographers refer to as ‘Raspberry,' therefore we do not have any DNA from 'Raspberry’ that we can compare to the DNA from the Sylvan Pass dead bear. The park does not refer to individual bears by names,” Veress sated.
"As for age, the bear killed by another bear near Sylvan Pass was 16 years old, and from what we understand, the photographers say that "Raspberry" was 18 years old.
As far as we know, the bear known to some as 'Raspberry’ has not been observed so far this year. We cannot verify that the bear killed last summer was this bear or not,” she added.
It could be that all that’s left of Raspberry is the legacy of her two most famous offspring, both females. Snow, born in 2015 and Jam, born in 2020.
They’ve both gained a reputation for hanging out near the roadside, like their mother, being highly visible and remarkably tolerant of crowds.
It could be that all that’s left of Raspberry is the legacy of her two most famous offspring, both females. Snow, born in 2015 and Jam, born in 2020.
They’ve both gained a reputation for hanging out near the roadside, like their mother, being highly visible and remarkably tolerant of crowds.
Time To Grieve, Or Hope?
Jack Bayles has observed, photographed and filmed grizzlies in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks for years.
He was a loyal follower of Grizzly 399, and still leads Team 399, dedicated to her legacy.
It was Bayles who saw and photographed Raspberry and Little Bear on May 23, 2025. So, his photos might be last ones ever taken of her alive.
He told Cowboy State Daily that although the outlook seems grim for Raspberry’s admirers, he thinks there’s a chance she could still be out there.
Last spring there was a lot of “mating activity” in the area, including large males drawn to Jam and Snow.
It could be that Raspberry went into the backcountry and stayed there, in order to keep Little Bear safe from large males that might try to kill the cub.
So, there’s a chance she could still emerge this spring, Bayles said.
“Pending confirmed DNA results, I’m not going to say she’s dead. Pending her showing up walking down the road, I’m not going to say she’s alive,” he said.
Wildlife Deby Dixon told Cowboy State Daily that she’s resigned to Raspberry probably never returning.
She recently posted a tribute/eulogy to Raspberry on social media.
“Everybody I’ve talked to that they have felt from the moment that carcass was discovered that it was her and that she is gone,” Dixon said.
‘Old Overnight’
Even as she reached a mature age for a grizzly, Raspberry was remarkably robust and energetic, Bayles said.
However, that all changed when she was struck by a vehicle, most likely on the night of Oct. 16-17, 2022.
The accident apparently caused severe damage to her right leg and hip, and she was never the same after that, Bayles said.
“I watched her become an old bear overnight,” he said.
Dixon said the injury slowed Raspberry down, but the bear’s tenacity was impressive.
“I was actually surprised that she made it through that breeding season, after she let Jam go, and was able to breed again,” she said.
“She could not bend her hip, and she appeared to be getting into more and more pain as time went on,” Dixon added.
When Snow and Jam were growing up, their mother would cavort and play with them, she said.
“With the newest cub, the one we called Little Bear, she really wasn’t able to play or move around much,” Dixon said.
Most female grizzlies in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem keep their cubs for two years before pushing them out on their own and mating again.
Biologists say the length of time the grizzlies keep their cubs can vary.
Raspberry was in the habit of keeping her cubs for three years, Bayles said.
Snow was with her from 2015 to 2018, and Jam stayed from 2020 to 2023, he said.
‘Calm, Cool, Chill Bear’
Dixon said there’s uncertainty when it comes to Little Bear.
“We don’t know, that’s another mystery,” she said.
Last fall “a young bear” about the right age to be Little Bear was seen hanging around a place called Rabbit Meadow.
“Raspberry was known to hang out there with her cub,” she said.
So far this spring, Jam and Snow are providing bear fans with a good show and carrying on their mother’s legacy.
“They are fine with a crowd,” she said.
And there is always that faint hope that sometime before summer is in full swing, Raspberry will come ambling down out of the Sylvan Pass high country.
“I would love to be wrong. I would love to see her again,” Dixon said.
Bayles said that even if he never sees Raspberry again, he’ll always remember her fondly.
“Within the context of grizzlies, she was a calm, cool, chill bear,” he said.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
