Update on Teton Grizzlies
With Jackson Hole getting busy as the summer months have arrived, it’s time for an update on what bears are out and where you might want to look for them!
As always, keep a safe distance from the bears, be respectful, carry bear spray and use a long telephoto lens for pictures.
This past winter was relatively mild and full of promise: would “Felicia” appear out of hibernation with new cubs? What about young grizzly “Fritter”: would she finally have her first cubs ever? And, would 28-year old grizzly 399 make it through another winter to continue raising her record-setting cub “Spirit”?
Grizzly 399 and Spirit
As you will have heard by now, grizzly 399 and Spirit appeared out of hibernation at the end of April!
Since the average grizzly in the wild lives to be 20-25 years old, grizzly 399 continues to defy expectations as she successfully made it through another winter – she turned 28 in the den in January – and continues to raise her (one) cub Spirit.
Close-up of Spirit as he followed 399 into the forest
Spirit looks great and is almost her size! No doubt that raising one cub to adulthood is a lot less taxing on her body than it was raising the quads (her four cubs between 2020 and 2022). Spirit is now 1.5 years old and if all goes well, will be “kicked out” by mom next May. It is still unknown whether Spirit is a male or female cub, but looking at how adventurous the cub is, suspicions are strong that it’s a male as male grizzlies tend to be more independent.
I’ve been lucky to see them on several occasions already this spring. As usual, they tend to hang out most in the area between Willow Flats and Colter Bay in Grand Teton National Park.
"Bear Jam" as 399 and Spirit cross the busy park road
That being said, whereas 399 was visible very regularly with her previous quads, since having Spirit in 2023, she’s been more skittish in my opinion, making for less frequent sightings and tougher photography.
Last year, when Spirit was a newborn, they hung around her usual area for most of the summer. Now that he’s big enough to cover greater distances, it’s possible she’ll take him to higher elevations (away from park roads) during the heat of summer, although that remains to be seen.
Here’s a picture I took recently of Spirit, as he stood up for a better look at his surroundings. 399 Grazed nearby peacefully.
Fine art print of Spirit available on Etsy, starting at $54: click here
Grizzly 1063 aka. Fritter or Bonita
The daughter of grizzly “Blondie” (#793), Fritter was born in 2017 and “kicked out” by mom in 2019. At 7 years of age, she is definitely able to have babies so for the past year or two, we’ve all been expecting her to appear out of hibernation with her first set of cubs. This was finally the year!
Fritter leads her first set of three cubs through a wildflower meadow in Grand Teton National Park
She appeared at the end of May with her first set of cubs: three coy! (COY = Cubs Of the Year)
The cubs are tiny and, of course, very cute. Fritter seems to have learned from her mom, Blondie, that it’s a good idea to stay close to the humans with her cubs, as male grizzlies (“boars”) tend to avoid humans. That’s a good thing since boars will kill grizzly cubs in order to push the female back into estrus so the boar can mate with the female.
Fritter has been hanging out with her three coy in the area around Leeks marina, Colter Bay and Pilgrim Creek. She shares this habitat with 399 and Spirit.
Fritter with a mouthful of Biscuitroot flowers
Grizzly 610
Grizzly 399’s daughter, 610 kicked out her 2.5 year old cubs this spring, as expected. Since then, both 610 and the three cubs have been rarely seen. 610 Tends to be seen around Pacific Creek, Oxbow Bend and Willow Flats in the park.
I had the chance to see them together before she kicked out the cubs. All three cubs looked great and ready to start life on their own!
610 leads her three cubs across Willow Flats in Grand Teton National Park
Grizzly 793 aka. Blondie
After the heartbreak of losing her three coy in 2022, Blondie appeared in 2023 with a new set of coy. She and her two cubs didn’t appear near park roads until the fall of 2023, but all looked to be in good health. Assuming they made it through another winter successfully, they haven’t been spotted yet this spring. Fingers crossed!
Grizzly 863 aka. Felicia
Last but not least, Felicia came out of hibernation in May with new coy!
Felicia's new cubs of the year
After successfully raising her previous two cubs to adulthood in 2023 and setting them loose on their own, she gave birth to two new babies in her den this past winter. All three are living life in her usual area outside of Grand Teton National Park, up on Togwotee pass east of the park in the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
When you go up the pass to see her, please remember to park only in official pullouts to keep it safe for visitors and the bears.
Fine art prints of the Teton Grizzlies start at $45: click here for my Etsy shop
Do you want to learn how to configure your camera? What camera and lens works best for wildlife photography?
Check out my book, available on Amazon
Do you want to receive my free monthly email with wildlife stories and images?
Sign up below. Plus, I'll send you my free ebook + a 10% coupon to my Etsy store.
Comments
Your bear photos are magical. I am very impressed.
Several names are going around for 399's cub. If there's one person who has earned the right to choose the cub's name, it's wildlife photographer Thomas Mangelsen, who has been photographing and documenting 399's life the longest of all. He named the cub Spirit, so that's what I'm going with!