After repeatedly getting too close to people and possible food sources, a popular young grizzly called Miracle was captured and relocated by wildlife agents in Grand Teton National Park on Thursday afternoon.
It was the necessary next step for human safety and the bear’s well-being, Grand Teton spokeswoman Emily Davis told Cowboy State Daily early Friday.
Miracle has been hanging around the Colter Bay area, where she was captured.
Earlier this month, dog handlers with Karelian bear dogs were brought in to try hazing Miracle away from crowded areas.
Fans of Miracle have assumed the bear was a female. That was confirmed when she was captured, Davis said.
The bear weighs roughly 80 pounds. She was tagged and officially designated “GB (grizzly bear) 1199,” she said.
Miracle is thought to be about 2.5 years old, and assumed to the offspring of another popular bear, Grizzly 1063.
Biologists think “it’s highly likely that she’s 1063’s offspring” but only a DNA test could affirm that, Davis said.
Miracle/Grizzly 1199 was relocated to a remote location in Grand Teton, she said.
‘A Fed Bear Is A Dead Bear’
“There have been no documented cases of her (Miracle/Grizzly 1199) getting a food reward” but the possibility seemed imminent, Davis said.
A bear getting food rewards, or becoming “food-conditioned,” as officials put it, is considered a critical tipping point. And it usually doesn’t end well for the bear.
“A fed bear is a dead bear” is a common saying among wildlife biologists and bear enthusiasts.
Wildlife agents recently euthanized a food-conditioned black bear in Grand Teton.
It’s suspected that food-conditioning caused the unusually bold behavior of a black bear near Golden, Colorado. That bear scratched a woman who was hiking and then followed her for 30 minutes, despite the woman continually shouting and throwing rocks and sticks at the bear.
‘Just A Matter Of Time’
Wildlife photographer Marcela Herdova is an avid fan of Miracle and has been watching her with apprehension for the past few weeks.
Herdova told Cowboy State Daily she’s seen Miracle getting close to garbage cans and other possible temptations.
The Colter Bay area has been packed with tourists, increasing the odds that something could go wrong with the bear, she added.
“I think it was just a matter of time before somebody did something, like, not properly throwing away their trash, or even directly giving her something. So, I think this (the relocation) is the best move for her,” Herdova said.
“Right now, she’s still a little bear, but she’s still growing,” Herdova added. "She won’t be such a small bear for long, and that could cause some issues.”
Troubled History
Miracle is thought to have beaten some steep odds to have survived this long.
She’s thought to be one of three yearling cubs with Grizzly 1063 in May 2025, and those bears were hanging around Colter Bay.
A male grizzly attacked the cubs, killing two.
Bear enthusiasts claimed the Park Service trying to haze Grizzly 1063 and her cubs away from Colter Bay caused them to temporarily split up, leaving the cubs vulnerable to the male’s attack.
Park officials stated there was no evidence the hazing contributed to the attack.
The third cub, thought to be Miracle, briefly reunited with Grizzly 1063 but later apparently split from its mother again.
Miracle was captured and relocated in July 2025.
Bear watchers wondered if the cub could make it on its own at such a young age because grizzlies don’t typically separate from their mothers until age 2.
Miracle’s fans were thrilled when she showed up at Colter Bay this spring.
‘The First Grizzly They Got To See’
With Miracle apparently having worn out her welcome at Colter Bay, it’s bittersweet to see her relocated, Herdova said.
“I do think that they (the Park Service) have expended so much effort to keep Miracle safe, and I appreciate that,” she said.
Herdova added she’s seen numerous instances of wildlife getting into trouble, because of human interference.
That included watching a black bear digging into an overflowing garbage can, which has since been removed, she said.
And she’s watched a fox “posturing” right next to people, apparently trying to get food from them.
Miracle has been the most highly visible bear this spring and early summer, Herdova said.
Grizzly 1063 has made some appearances with three new cubs, “but she has changed her behavior” and hasn’t been as visible as usual, she said.
Grand Teton’s most famous living bear, Grizzly 610, also “hasn’t been as visible” this year, Herdova said.
With Miracle gone, there might not be as many bear-watching opportunities for visitors, she added.
“It’s sad that people aren’t going to see her because, for many people, she was the first grizzly that they ever got to see,” Herdova said.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
