10/21/2024
Over the years, I've made several posts about Grizzly 399, who is perhaps the world's most famous grizzly. The grizzly pictured here is 399's most well known offspring, an 18 year old sow known as 'Grizzly 610'. 610 has had several litters of her own, and 399 and 610 seem to regularly interact with one another. One year, 610 came out of the den with two cubs, and 399 came out with three of her own. During an interaction, one of 399's three cubs ended up with 610, and 610 raised the cub. To all observers and researchers, this wasn't a hostile takeover or kidnapping, but perhaps the younger 610 helping out 399, who was advancing in age. While no one will ever know the reason for sure, it's an unusual thing to observe in the bear world.
Last October, just before our fall 2023 visit to the Tetons, 610 was struck in a hit and run accident, and she was found on the edge of the road. The very long skid marks indicated it was a large vehicle, likely a semi, that had been traveling at a high rate of speed in a park that has a lower speed limit, due to the abundant wildlife. 610 had three yearling cubs at the time-they hung back from the road, obviously concerned about their mom. Word of the accident spread quickly, and people flocked to the scene for a very emotional few hours, as 610 lay almost motionless at the scene. Most thought 610 would not survive this major injury. The death of 610 would also likely mean her cubs would not survive. There were four lives on the line. But, after several hours, 610 surprised everyone by getting up and walking away with her cubs. There was concern that she had internal injuries that she would succumb to, and she was observed closely in the coming days. Each day it became more likely that she would survive what was surely a major vehicle strike, and fortunately she appears to have recovered with no residual effects.
This spring, her three cubs were old enough to be sent out on their own, and 610 spent the summer on her own, and most likely will emerge from the den with new cubs in spring 2025.
On this particular night, we saw her grazing in a sage meadow near the road, disappearing into a copse of trees at the edge of the meadow. We have learned to pay attention to the speed and direction a bear is heading, to anticipate where they might pop up next, and in this case, we knew there was another road on the other side of the copse of trees. So, we went to that road, pulled into and parked in a pullout, and waited. Some times that strategy pays off, and other times you sit for hours only to find that the bear changed directions. But this time it paid off. After a short wait, she emerged from the trees right in front of us, and began walking directly toward us. By then, other cars had parked on the same road, and we all watched from our cars as she moved our direction. Unlike grizzlies outside of the parks, the bears within the parks are used to crowds, and 610 non chalantly and non aggressively meandered between cars to the sage meadow across the road. This behavior in close proximity to humans leads many tourists to think of the bears as tame, cuddly, and safe; but you need to be very careful, as they are still wild animals with the potential to become aggressive, especially in certain situations.
610 looks well fed and healthy, a good sign that she will have cubs next spring. Grizzlies are a species with 'delayed implantation': when the grizzly sow mates in May through July, and an egg is fertilized, the fertilized egg develops into a tiny ball of cells which then stops growing further for another 4-5 months. If the mother's nutritional and health status are good and she has gained sufficient weight for hibernation, the eggs will implant just before hibernation. The healthier and more well fed the bear, the more likely there will be multiple cubs come spring. Delayed implantation occurs with other species too, such as mustelids/weasels. Delayed implantation is a truly fascinating thing in the natural world!
I love how the evening autumn sunlight highlighted her beautiful coat as she looks right at me. She's a gorgeous and massive bear, and an important part of 399's legacy.
