One Final Family Portrait

In May 2022, Grizzly 399's four cubs were only weeks away from separating from their mother for good. A family of five grizzly bears is an extraordinary sight, and after spending time with this family over two years, this was the one occasion when I was able to make a photograph with all five of them together.

Many people were looking for the family that morning after they had been spotted earlier. I decided to go my own way and ended up being only the second person to arrive on the scene. For a brief moment, the entire family came together in front of me.

When I think about 399's legacy, I think part of it is continuing to tell her story. When I talk with visitors about her and what she meant to Grand Teton and the broader global wildlife community, this is often the photograph I show them: one final family portrait before her four young bears went their separate ways.