Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025 at 8 p.m. on KPBS TV / Stream now with KPBS Passport!
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.”
The film explores 399’s life through those closest to her, including world-renowned nature photographer Thomas Mangelsen, grizzly biologists, National Park Service rangers, local ranchers and more. The stakes for 399 and her progeny 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.
“Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons” examines the urgent and contentious debate over the future of the iconic American species through the life of one exceptional mama bear, who stands as a symbol of the clash between humans and the wild.
Watch On Your Schedule: NATURE "Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons" is available to stream with KPBS Passport is a member benefit that unlocks exclusive shows and extra content on the PBS app.
Credits: A production of Lucky 8 and The WNET Group. For Lucky 8, Woodard, Isaac Holub, Gregory Henry and George Kralovansky are executive producers. Elizabeth Leiter is producer, and Daniel Carter is director of photography. For NATURE, Fred Kaufman is executive producer, Bill Murphy is series producer and Janet Hess is series editor. NATURE is a production of The WNET Group.
“The story of 399 offers a wonderful window into the life of the modern American grizzly, but it also intersects with so many urgent issues facing wildlife and the environment today, from climate change to the potential delisting that will have a massive impact on grizzlies in this region,’ said Executive Producer Kim Woodard. “We were proud to work with Elizabeth to bring the legend of 399 to life in a film that aims to be as thought-provoking as it is engaging and inspirational.”
