‘Against All Odds’: Monument honoring Grizzly 399 and her cubs to be unveiled
Published at
JACKSON, Wyoming — A larger-than-life monument honoring one of the world’s most famous grizzly bears and her four celebrated cubs will soon have a permanent home in Jackson.
The National Museum of Wildlife Art will unveil “Against All Odds,” a bronze sculpture depicting Grizzly 399 and the quadruplet cubs she gave birth to in 2020, on Sept. 9 at 5 p.m. The free public dedication will take place near the museum’s front entrance and kick off this year’s Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival.
The date, 9/9, was intentionally selected as a nod to 399.
Grizzly 399 became an international wildlife icon during more than two decades roaming Grand Teton National Park and the surrounding area. Known for frequently appearing near roadways with her cubs, she gave birth to 18 cubs during her lifetime.
She died Oct. 22, 2024, after being struck by a vehicle in Snake River Canyon south of Jackson.
“Grizzly 399 captured hearts far beyond Wyoming, and this monument gives visitors a place to reflect on what she represented — resilience, wildness, and the fragile balance between people and the animals we share this landscape with,” museum Executive Director Steve Seamons said in a news release.
The sculpture is roughly one-and-a-half times life-size and was created under the leadership of wildlife sculptor Jocelyn Russell, with artists Kristen Douglas-Seitz and Colleen Moore contributing to the project. It was cast at Adonis Bronze Foundry in Utah.
The monument is being donated to the museum by The Grizzly 399 Legacy of Love Project through the nonprofit Angels Without Wings.
The Sept. 9 dedication will include remarks from renowned wildlife photographer Thomas D. Mangelsen from 5 to 5:30 p.m. Russell and Mangelsen will then hold a public presentation from 6 to 7 p.m. discussing the creation of the sculpture and Grizzly 399’s legacy.
Museum officials say the monument is intended not only to remember 399 but also to encourage future generations to protect wildlife and the places animals call home.