One of oldest wild grizzly bears emerges from hibernation with cubs
A beloved grizzly bear believed to be one of the oldest living in the wild has been spotted alive and with a new litter of cubs.
399 - the bear's number - is a 24-year-old grizzly living in Grand Teton national park, within the Yellowstone ecosystem.
The animal isn't simply known for its advanced age; 399 has become one of the most visible grizzlies in that region, raising her cubs near roads and well in sight of humans.
With an exception in 2007 when 399 mauled a person who wandered too close to where she and her cubs were feeding on an elk carcass, the bear has never attacked humans unprovoked, even when they've foolishly attempted to get close to the creature and her cubs.
The person survived the encounter, and park authorities determined the animal was only acting naturally in defence of her cubs and their meal.
399 has been a major part of the rebound of the grizzly bear population in the Yellowstone region. In 1975, grizzlies in the region were given protection under that year's Endangered Species Act when their population dropped to fewer than 150.
Initiatives to protect the bears' habitat and to protect them from poachers helped stabilise the region and allow them to thrive. As a result, at least 22 bears are believed to have descended from 399, and at least 700 inhabit the region.
While the rebound of the bear population has been a positive, threats to the animals' continued existence are still present.
About half of those that descended from 399 have died, some through natural causes, others by hunting or being hit by cars.
The bear is a favourite of photographer Thomas Mangelsen, who has been photographing it for the last 15 years, and primatologist Jane Goodall.
