JACKSON, Wyo. — A candlelight vigil and community-wide celebration honoring the iconic life of Grizzly 399 will take place on Town Square this Saturday, Nov. 2, at 6 p.m.
Local photographer and wildlife guide Syler Peralta-Ramos told Buckrail that he began to orchestrate the event after receiving public messages inquiring about a memorial for the beloved bear.
“As a member of the photography and wildlife watching community, people are turning to us for information.” Peralta-Ramos said. “It felt like there was a need for a space to gather and celebrate 399. Other members in the photography community are helping me organize the logistics.”
Event organizers will provide candles during the vigil. For safety purposes, children are asked to bring a battery powered candle or light. According to Peralta-Ramos, speakers will share stories of 399, and there will be spots where people can write down their own thoughts, stories and anecdotes.
Peralta-Ramos reflected on his personal experiences photographing 399.
“399 was the first bear I ever photographed and that was over 10 years ago, in either 2012 or 2013,” Peralta-Ramos shared. “I wasn’t old enough to drive to the park on my own at the time, so I convinced my dad to drive me to Pilgrim Creek in the Tetons. It was a brief sighting but it impacted my life profoundly. I’ve been so lucky to see 399 probably hundreds of times since.”
As a wildlife guide for Pangea Expeditions, Peralta-Ramos was able to show 399 to many of his guests and he said people would immediately light up when they saw her.
Now, with the absence of the remarkable queen grizzly, Peralta-Ramos said that people can transform the loss into positive action. Even though grizzlies in Wyoming are still listed under the Endangered Species Act, Peralta-Ramos explained that now is the time to push for protections for grizzly populations while “so many eyes are on Wyoming.”
“The impact 399 has had on people around the world is a truly remarkable thing to witness right now, and I hope that this event can be a small visual and emotional representation of that,” Peralta-Ramos said. “Grizzly bears are still a heavily persecuted species in our state and I hope this show of love for 399 can be a catalyst for the changes we need to make as a community, state and country to ensure bears can continue to thrive on the landscape.”
Peralta-Ramos said that there are plans to livestream the ceremony so people around the world can come together to pay their respects.
A reception will follow the candlelight vigil, and the upcoming details will be announced on the event’s Facebook page. To volunteer during the event or to share ideas for honoring 399, email Syler Peralta-Ramos at syler@sylerpr.com.
