For 27 years, Jackson Hole Grizzly 399 has been strolling into human, biological and conservation history in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Unbeknownst to her, she's become the most famous living wild bear on Earth.
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Meet Grizzly 399399 is the numeric name given to her by researchers with the famed Yellowstone Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team. Territory: Hundreds of square miles in Jackson Hole, including the Grand Teton National Park and Bridger-Teton National Forest.
While sources vary and Yellowstone National Park has its own accurate information in terms of grizzly bear tracks, the biggest grizzly bear to ever roam Yellowstone was estimated to be between 600-800 pounds.
Weighing as much as 700 pounds apiece, they had no serious rivals. Grizzly bears, Yellowstone's top predators, are capable of bringing down an adult elk, but they mainly prey on calves. Coyotes, though numerous, were much too small to attack elk.
Consider that roughly 2.5 million people visit the Grand Tetons each year, and roughly one-half of all visitors will venture into the backcountry. However, there have been only six reported bear attacks in the park since 1994 - none of which were fatal.
The first grizzly bear sighting of 2022 in the Jackson Hole area occurred on March 13 in Grand Teton National Park. When bears emerge from their dens, they search for any available foods and often scavenge animals that died during the winter. Seeing a bear in its natural habitat is an awe-inspiring experience.
It's one of the best places in the world to observe wild bears. Inhabited by both black bears and grizzly bears, Yellowstone is a bear-watcher's paradise. For many people, seeing bears is one of the main reasons they come to Yellowstone. It's possible to see ten or fifteen bears in one day in this vast preserve.
If you do any hiking or camping in Yellowstone, you SHOULD bring bear spray. Generally, you don't need bear spray when visiting the popular and crowded geyser areas and villages, such as Old Faithful and Canyon Village.
Take the Encounter SeriouslyBear encounters, however, are still relatively dangerous, as both grizzly and black bears, the two species of bear found in Yellowstone, can act aggressively if they feel threatened.