A Closer Look at the Most Notorious Grizzly Mother in Yellowstone
She is presenting this fall’s excellent novel by seasoned author Todd Wilkinson. The beautiful photo series “Grizzlies of Pilgrim Creek: An Intimate Portrait of 399” was created by renowned Yellowstone photographer Tom Mangelsen, who has been following 399 for years as she raises litter after litter of cubs. The book gives readers a close-up view of this well-liked grizzly bear and creates a picture of her family. It also highlights the difficulties in combining animal conservation with human tourism, raising concerns about the fate of grizzlies in Yellowstone and throughout North America.
Photographers have visited the park for almost ten years to see 399 and her cubs. Mangelsen has developed his ability to track her and her progeny, producing a sizable body of work combining art and science. Since she and her cubs were initially monitored in the middle of the 2000s, 399 has been a popular tourist attraction. She has a remarkable capacity for separating between wild and domestic interactions, allowing observers to see some unusual behaviors.
Grizzlies in Yellowstone must be able to avoid human hazards, which is one skill that 399 has mastered. “Brains are more crucial for a grizzly matriarch than brute strength. She has a remarkable capacity for interpreting the intents of others’ “Wilkinson penmanship.
Another contribution given by 399 is the influx of tourists and researchers to Yellowstone. Inspired by the illustrious Jane Goodall, Mangelsen continues to battle to preserve Yellowstone’s grizzlies against hunters, excessive visitors, and politicians. The public’s impression of grizzlies has changed from people shooting them with weapons to people shooting them with cameras, which is positive and will be important as legislators decide the future of these gorgeous animals.
399 will go into another winter hibernation and emerge in the spring with more cubs to nurture in the Yellowstone wilderness.
Source: treehugger.com
