A record-setting grizzly bear has followers from all over the world, including Cartmell Elementary School.
Summer Young’s fourth graders have become as passionate about 399 as she has. Young began following 399 during the COVID-19 epidemic. “She just kind of made things better and gave a little hope,” Young said.
That year, 399 had a set of quadruplets, which is extremely rare.
Grizzly 399 currently holds the record for being the oldest mother at the ripe old age of 26. Her fans are still awaiting her emergence from hibernation this year to see if, at age 27, she has had another litter of cubs.
The bear lives in the Pilgrim’s Creek area near Grand Teton National Park and Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming. The mama bear typically spends her time within a 1- to 3-mile radius and her followers can be found staking out the zones on a regular basis, Young said.
Lily Freeman is one of Young’s students who has embraced 399. “I was amazed,” Lilly said with bright eyes. She pulled out her favorite book on the famous mama bear, Grizzly 399 and Her Four Hungry Cubs, and began reading aloud one of her favorite segments.
“399 frequents the roadsides, adding to her popularity,” Lilly said, explaining that male bears do not go near roads so that’s one way 399 uses to keep her cubs safe.
Waylon Beach added he has learned “she is the only grizzly bear to have these four cubs for two summers and two winters. I can’t believe how she has kept them safe from harm. She’s a really good mama bear.”
The fourth grade class used a number of skills to make a prediction about how many cubs 399 will have in 2023. Young has a number of contacts in the Wyoming area who photograph and write about the special bear. She submitted their chart to WyoFile, which published it in a March 27 news article about 399. WyoFile is an independent news service for Wyoming. You can view the article and their submission here https://wyofile.com/grizzly-mama-of-the-tetons-sets-out-to-break-a-record/.
Most recently, the students have developed a chart to determine how many cubs 399 will have when she emerges from hibernation. Lilly thinks she will have two more cubs, while Waylon thinks she will have three cubs. A few in their class even thought 399 would have another set of quadruplets.
Both students are clearly excited about 399 and her life. They know about her family tree, the 17 cubs she has delivered, the places she and her cubs frequent, and about the risks facing the bear family.
“The biggest threats are people leaving trash and food out and male bears because they can be aggressive,” Lilly said. Waylon added that every park should have bear-proof trash cans so the bears never get accustomed to human food. The two explained that 399’s set of quads are adults and on their own now, but one was shot because it began eating food it foraged at residences outside the National Park.
Young added that she wants her students to understand the importance of wildlife and the humans’ responsibility to protect bears and other animals. “Wildlife is important and I want the wildlife to be here for them,” she added.
Grizzly 399 can be followed on a number of social media pages, including that of nature photographer Thomas Mangelsen, who is a friend of Young’s.