MEET 399
“She is an amazing bear. The number of offspring that she's had, that she's 26 years old, she's had a set of quadruplets, and raised them all to sub-adulthood. If you're a bear specialist, if you understand behavior, she's really special because of the success that she's had. So from the two points of view, she's loved by people who don't know much about bears except through photographs and stories. And she's admired by the scientists studying her because they know that she is a very special bear." -Jane Goodall
“What an extraordinary story Grizzly 399 has to tell.” Anderson Cooper
Grizzly #399, named for her National Park tag number, has become a global icon, rocketed to fame by the portraits of award-winning photographer Tom Mangelson who has tracked her for decades. Unlike most wild grizzlies who keep to the backcountry, 399 is frequently sighted along roads and often attracts crowds of hundreds of tourists hoping to catch a glimpse of her. Known for consistently producing quadruplets—just as rare for grizzlies as for humans—and keeping them alive until adulthood despite the 50% survival rate for young bears, 399 has captivated the world with her resourcefulness and intelligence. Now, as “conflicts” between bears and humans become more and more frequent, 399 has become a controversial symbol for all sides.