The passing of a legend - Grizzly #399 is dead.
23rd October 2024
Rest in peace Grizzly #399.
Grand Teton National Park's Grizzly #399, the famous grizzly bear sow who has delighted hordes of wildlife watchers for the better part of two decades, is dead. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Wednesday morning that the 28-year-old grizzly had been hit and killed by a car in the Snake River Canyon. What a sad day that has impacted millions across the globe.
I am grateful for the years I was able to spend watching her, learning her tendencies, understanding her behavior, and of course capturing her and her offspring through the lens. The "access" she allowed so many of us over the years was truly a gift.
I'm not quite sure how I feel about her passing although I knew the day would come that The Queen of the Tetons would no longer be roaming the sage and the forrest. What I am sure of is that she was a wild grizzly bear that lived in the wild and lived and survived by the rules of the wild. I also know that she became an ambassador for Grand Teton National Park and that thousands of people across the world are mourning her passing.
Grizzly #399:
May we let her rest in peace.
Please visit the Grizzly #399 gallery to see the signed & numbered limited editions offered from 3H Photography:
https://www.3hphotography.com/grizzly-399-queen-of-the
Grand Teton National Park's Grizzly #399, the famous grizzly bear sow who has delighted hordes of wildlife watchers for the better part of two decades, is dead. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Wednesday morning that the 28-year-old grizzly had been hit and killed by a car in the Snake River Canyon. What a sad day that has impacted millions across the globe.
I am grateful for the years I was able to spend watching her, learning her tendencies, understanding her behavior, and of course capturing her and her offspring through the lens. The "access" she allowed so many of us over the years was truly a gift.
I'm not quite sure how I feel about her passing although I knew the day would come that The Queen of the Tetons would no longer be roaming the sage and the forrest. What I am sure of is that she was a wild grizzly bear that lived in the wild and lived and survived by the rules of the wild. I also know that she became an ambassador for Grand Teton National Park and that thousands of people across the world are mourning her passing.
Grizzly #399:
- You were a wild apex predator, although many connected with you on a very emotional level.
- At times you exhibited how brutal the wild can be, but you also exhibited patience, acceptance, and wisdom.
- Your life ended where you lived it - by the road. You knew the danger and the wisdom of living your life near the road, and you secured the safety of many of your offspring by doing so although you also suffered loss from it over the years.
- You lived the life of a grizzly bear in a very public way, and you were a gift to all of us in many different ways.
- You were and always will be the Queen of the Tetons.
May we let her rest in peace.
Please visit the Grizzly #399 gallery to see the signed & numbered limited editions offered from 3H Photography:
https://www.3hphotography.com/grizzly-399-queen-of-the