Join world-renowned photographer Thomas D. Mangelsen for an intimate fireside chat, hosted by award-winning journalist Todd Wilkinson, author of Grizzlies of Pilgrim Creek and Grizzly 399.
Tom shared heartfelt stories of the legendary Grizzly 399, answered your questions, and reflected on his incredible journey as a wildlife photographer.Cozy up and tune in for this special celebration of Grizzly 399’s legacy.
Nature lovers held a vigil for a famous mother grizzly bear that delighted visitors for decades in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park after she was accidentially struck and killed by a vehicle.
Following the news of Grizzly 399’s untimely death on October 22, 2024, the team behind Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons reconvenes to mourn her loss and celebrate her legacy.
Panelists include Grizzly 399’s most dedicated photographer, Thomas D. Mangelsen, producer Elizabeth Leiter, research biologist Trevor Bloom and former Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Dr. Chris Servheen, with Nature’s executive producer Fred Kaufman as moderator.
Join NATURE for a special LIVE post-premiere Q&A with the filmmakers and experts from Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons. NATURE executive producer Fred Kaufman will moderate a panel with producer Elizabeth Leiter, Guides of Jackson Hole’s Trevor Bloom, and renowned 399 photographer Thomas D. Mangelsen.
Recorded LIVE Q&A that took place after the premier
Known only by her research number, Grizzly 399 has been a fixture in Grand Teton National Park since 2007, becoming the world’s most famous—and photographed—grizzly bear in the world. Now 399 is raising four new cubs in the face of human encroachment, a warming climate, and the threat of losing protection under the Endangered Species Act. Witness a riveting story full of twists and turns, hope and heartbreak in NATURE—Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons. Originally aired Wednesday, May 8 at 8/7c on PBS.
NATURE is an award-winning signature PBS series focusing on natural history and wildlife, showcasing documentaries and episodes that explore various aspects of the natural world. The program covers a wide range of topics, from animal behavior and habitats to environmental issues and conservation efforts.
NATURE—Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons is a production of Lucky 8 and The WNET Group.
Grizzly 399, the most famous bear in Grand Teton National Park, has an exceptional litter of four cubs to raise. Every day, the family must contend with threats to their survival, including a warming climate and human encroachment in bear country. Now the stakes are higher than ever as Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana seek to remove grizzlies from the endangered species list—which would make it legal to hunt them. In a riveting story full of twists and turns, hope and heartbreak, Grizzly 399 stands as a symbol of the clash between humans and the wild.
This feature-length documentary film is a collaboration with Lucky 8. It is a unique combination of Mangelsen’s extensive archive of photographs, videos, Todd Wilkinson’s writings, and interviews featuring numerous people who share a deep affection for 399.
Thomas D. Mangelsen’s personal and professional legacy is inseparable from his love of Grizzly 399. As one of the first people to set eyes on the bear 14 years before, he documented her life history as she pioneered the return of grizzlies to the southern reaches of the Greater Yellowstone.
By Syler Peralta-Ramos/Peninsula Press
Thomas D. Mangelsen is one of the most prolific and widely celebrated nature photographers of our time and an international hero for making Grizzly 399 famous and for advocating to protect grizzlies. His photographs document the bears’ resurgence as they have been listed and delisted under the Endangered Species Act.
This fall the conservation community championed Tom when he was randomly drawn from 7,000 applicants as #8 of the 22 hunters awarded a license to kill a grizzly bear in Wyoming. Of course he wasn’t going to use his tag to kill one, but instead use it to photograph, potentially saving a bear or two of the estimated 700 in the region. The hunt was called off at the last minute, but as Tom will tell you, the metamorphosis of the Great Bear is far from over.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.
The wildlife photographer explains why the portrait of the famous bear almost hit the cutting room floor.
Thomas D. Mangelsen and Todd Wilkinson have worked on Grizzly conservation in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for some time now. From Tom's stunning photos to the incredible stories that Tom and Todd share, this program paints the picture regarding Grizzly population health and wellbeing (including world-famous Grizzly 399).
Video by Tiffany Talbott
In 2020, having emerged from the den only days prior, Grizzly 399’s four tiny cubs get a first glimpse of their new world. Like some other grizzly mothers, 399 prefers to raise her offspring alongside roads. They do this to avoid run-ins with aggressive male bears that can sometimes harm their cubs.
Featuring over 150 captivating images by Thomas D. Mangelsen and a riveting narrative by American writer Todd Wilkinson, Grizzlies of Pilgrim Creek is a compelling study of the most famous bears in the world and the threats they face. Grizzlies need us now more than ever.
Buy the book
Essay by Todd Wilkinson; Foreward by Ted Turner
In Grizzly: The Bears of Greater Yellowstone, renowned nature photographer Thomas D. Mangelsen and environmental writer Todd Wilkinson team up to tell the inspiring if sometimes harrowing story of a remarkable bear clan: Mother Grizzly 399 and her generations of offspring. While tracking this charismatic band of bears, Mangelsen has amassed an incomparable photographic portfolio that offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of this celebrated bear family.
The grizzly bears of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks are the most famous wild bruins in the world. Millions of people and generations of travelers annually make special pilgrimages to the northern Rockies just to catch sight of these powerful, breathtaking animals. But like a lot of large predator populations on earth, grizzlies in the lower 48 states have struggled for survival. The rescue of Yellowstone grizzlies ranks as one of the greatest feats of wildlife conservation.
Rizzoli Books, Photographs by Thomas D. Mangelsen; Text by Todd Wilkinson; Foreword by Ted Turner
Watch as Thomas D. Mangelsen takes to the air in search of Grizzly 399 in the Teton Wilderness. Two weeks later she and her tiny triplets make their first appearance near Pilgrim Creek in Grand Teton National Park.
Grizzly 399 became famous in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, as she raised three cubs near the roads of the park during the summers of 2006 and 2007, giving thousands the opportunity to observe the family in the wild. The spring of 2011, she again emerged with another set of triplets. Watch as the three new cubs play in a meadow of Grand Teton National Park under their mother’s watchful eye.
On May 13, 2011, Thomas D. Mangelsen premiered a new image titled First Light - Grizzly Bear at his MANGELSEN—Images of Nature Gallery in Omaha, Nebraska. Watch him unveil the new print and narrate the story behind this stunning image of a grizzly below Mount Moran in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
See how renowned nature & wildlife photographer Tom Mangelsen uses the Nikon Z8 and Nikon glass like the new NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR. By documenting wildlife, he aims to share a glimpse of the life-changing experiences he’s had to help people understand that animals are just like us. Tom has traveled for nearly 50 years observing and photographing Earth’s last great wild places and has been named one of the most influential nature photographers.
