Authentic social media sensation Grizzly 399 has been sighted by some lucky Grand Teton National Park tourists while crossing the road with her cubs just a few days ago.
Grizzly 399 has been called "the most famous grizzly bear in the world," with her own social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram. She is also the subject of a children's book published in May 2020.
Part of her celebrity comes from her advanced age and presumed intelligence. Born in 1996, she has now reached the august age of 24. It is relatively rare to see a grizzly that old produce cubs, but she bore a litter of four just last season. Her adorable brood can be seen in the video below.
Grizzly 399 has become reasonably habituated to dealing with humans in high-traffic areas, near roads, etc. Some have theorized that she now sticks closer to those areas while traveling with young because though the risk of human interaction is higher it is still safer than traversing the backcountry, where adult male grizzlies will sometimes kill cubs.
Many come to Yellowstone specifically to get a glimpse of Grizzly 399. As world famous wildlife photographer Thomas Mangelson has said, "These are not just any bears... they might be the most famous grizzlies alive today on the planet. For all these people, catching a glimpse of them is the thrill of a lifetime."
No doubt the assembled tourists who saw the queen of grizzlies regal road-crossing were starstruck. We hope Grizzly 399 a long and glorious reign.
See the video below, and please note: there is some foul language at the beginning of the video -- mute if you don't want to hear it, or turn it up louder if you very badly DO want to hear it!