It turns out that two male grizzly bear cubs sent to a Colorado zoo in June after their mother was killed by wildlife agents for preying on cattle are the grandchildren of Wyoming’s legendary Grizzly 399.
Grizzly advocate Jack Bayles told Cowboy State Daily that on Monday a source, whom he declined to name, confirmed to him Tuesday what he had suspected after two months of speculation.
A female grizzly killed in the East Rosebud Creek drainage in Montana on June 5 was Grizzly 964, one of a set of twins born to Grizzly 399 in 2017.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks spokesman Greg Lemon confirmed to Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday that the bear killed June 5 was Grizzly 964.
Home Found For Cubs Immediately
Grizzly 964 had two cubs with her when she was killed. They were sent to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, Bayles said.
Lemon said it was fortunate to find a permanent home for the cubs so quickly.
That’s not always the case, he said. Some zoos will take grizzlies but might not have openings.
The zoo in Colorado Springs could take them almost immediately.
Cubs typically are euthanized if no zoo has availability because they won't survive alone in the wild.
Name the Cubs
The zoo recently called on the public to help name the now 8-month-old cubs, asking for a donation of at least $5 to join the voting.
The choices were “Meadow and Forest," “Scout and Ranger," and “Aspen and Yarrow.”
According to a post on the zoo’s Facebook page, “Scout and Ranger” was leading, with voting set to close at midnight Tuesday.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the zoo hadn’t announced a winner.
A message left for the zoo’s marketing manager wasn’t returned by publication time.
Frustrating Search for Answers
Bayles on Tuesday announced he’d confirmed Grizzly 964’s identity on his Team 399 Facebook page.
“I have bittersweet news to share,” he wrote in his post.
“The two six-month-old grizzly cubs many of you have been reading about — and who have been the focus of a public naming opportunity — are of royal descent,” he added.
Grizzly 399 was called “Queen of the Tetons” because of her worldwide fan base, gained through her high visibility in Grand Teton National Park.
Widespread shock and mourning resulted in October 2024 when she was struck and killed by a vehicle near Jackson.
Her final cub, a yearling called Spirit, was with her. Many hoped he went on to find his own winter den and survive, but those hopes have since faded.
Grizzly 399 was known to have at least 18 offspring. About seven are thought to still in the wild, Bayles said.
The most famous is Grizzly 399’s daughter, Grizzly 610. She had her own brush with death in October 2023, when she was stuck by a semi-truck in Grand Teton and languished in pain for hours by the roadside.
She later got up and walked away, with no apparent permanent injuries, and rejoined her cubs.
‘I’ll Get A Chance To Go Meet Them’
Grizzly 964 was born and lived her early life in Grand Teton.
Because of alleged human-bear conflicts, she was trapped and relocated to the Silver Gate, Montana, area, Bayles said.
Although Grizzly 964 gained a loyal fanbase there, she was never as highly visible as her mother, he added.
Many suspected from the start she was the grizzly killed on June 5, Bayles said, adding he’s tried ever since to confirm that but officials remained tight-lipped about the bear’s identity.
He said that according to what he could glean from records, only one cow was killed by a bear in Carbon County, Montana, about 25 direct miles from Silver Gate, as of August.
So, Grizzly 964 might have been killed “over just one cow,” he said.
Bayles said he takes comfort in knowing the cubs are safe.
“I’m glad they’re alive, and I’ll get a chance to go meet them at some point,” he said.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
