In Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, a remarkable grizzly bear named Bear 399 has recently welcomed four adorable cubs into the world. What makes this even more special is that Bear 399 is 24 years old, which is considered quite old for a grizzly bear. Usually, bears have only two or three cubs, but Bear 399 has defied the odds by having four.
Bear 399 has become quite famous, even having her own social media accounts, because of this rare event. She’s often seen with her family near roadsides in the park, delighting tourists. Experts believe she’s learned to use these areas to keep her cubs safe from male bears that might harm them. This clever strategy has made her one of the most successful grizzly bear parents ever known.
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Kate and Adam Rice, photographers who live in a van near the park, were lucky enough to capture stunning images of Bear 399 with her new cubs. They were amazed because it’s very unusual for a bear to have four cubs, especially at Bear 399’s age. Kate and Adam have developed a deep love for bears through their work and often visit national parks for photography trips.
Their interest in bears started when they saw a grizzly bear up close for the first time in northern Minnesota. Since then, they’ve regularly visited Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks for more photography trips. They were particularly fascinated by Bear 399, who was first tagged by researchers in 2001 and has been making headlines ever since.
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In 2011, Bear 399 and her daughter, 610, made news when they raised their cubs in the same area. What surprised experts was that 610 adopted one of 399’s cubs and successfully raised it to adulthood, which had never been recorded before.
If you ever visit national parks like Grand Teton and Yellowstone, you might be lucky enough to see a wild bear with its cubs. Female bears often raise their cubs near roadsides to protect them from male grizzlies. But remember, even though Bear 399 seems friendly near people, she is still a wild bear and should not be approached, especially when she’s with her cubs.
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