GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. — Local photographer Deborah Greiner was in the right place at the right time to experience the first grizzly sighting in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) on March 23.
Greiner recounted to Buckrail her experience watching Felicia’s (Grizzly 863) offspring emerge from hibernation.
“What a personality this approximate three year old boar had,” Greiner wrote to Buckrail. “We watched him come through the pines, and as he entered the open meadow it looked as though he was gliding so easily through the chest high snow. He started running, springing into the air with arms up high swaying back and forth, and then doing that over and over again, almost as if he were doing a happy dance.”
According to Greiner, through her camera lens, she observed the grizzly eyeing a herd of approximately 300 elk.
“The grizzly was a good distance away from the elk,” Greiner wrote. “He suddenly paused for a moment and decided to turn and head into the mountains. My thought was he was discouraged when he saw they ran much farther away, or maybe he was overwhelmed with how many were there, or possibly because there were about 200 horses staring him down and heading toward him, or maybe he wasn’t hungry enough. Whatever the case may be he sure did have a good old fashion play in the snow and gave us a special performance.”
On March 23, Jackson Hole EcoTours also captured the exciting event on its Instagram page.
GTNP reminds visitors that bears are emerging from their dens, and to be bear aware when recreating in the Park this spring and summer.
