JACKSON, Wyo. — It was a celebration fit for a queen as superfans of Grizzly 399 gathered at the National Museum of Wildlife Art (NMWA) Wednesday evening to witness the unveiling of a bronze monument in her honor.
Buckrail photographer Nick Sulzer found space amid the crowd to catch the dramatic moment when the shroud was lifted from the statue. The commissioned piece, installed near the museum’s entrance, was created by sculptor Jocelyn Russell, known for larger-than-life bronze tributes to famous horses Secretariat and Sgt. Reckless as well as other wild animals.
“She was truly a remarkable subject,” Russell said at the dedication, later adding, “She was so beloved, and everybody has an opinion about this bear, and she belongs to each of you individually. … Teach your children about conservation. If they can’t see it, they don’t know what to save.”
Russell was introduced by Angels Without Wings President Robin Hutton. The animal welfare nonprofit spearheaded the fundraising and planning effort to bring the monument to fruition after 399 was killed in a vehicle collision in 2024. The monument, titled Against All Odds, depicts the bear with her famous quadruplets, born in 2020. (The fourth cub is visible on the opposite side of the monument.) Grizzly 399 raised 18 cubs in her 28-year lifetime.
“[The statue allows] people who never had the privilege of seeing 399 in the wild to stand here and feel a little bit of what made her so special,” Hutton said, adding, “I hope you all brought tissues because when you see this thing, you’re gonna need it.”
Hutton and Russell noted that the monument design team worked extensively with wildlife photographers and filmmakers to ensure the statue resembled 399 specifically, not just any grizzly bear. Russell was instructed to add more and more clay to the bear’s rear — a sentiment echoed by wildlife photographer and 399 expert Thomas Mangelsen in his remarks.
“I’ve seen every angle and she does have a big ass,” Mangelsen said. “I’m very critical with art and sculptures and photography, and I think it’s a wonderful piece and 399 would be very proud of it.” Mangelsen also mentioned that he had seen a black bear with two cubs near his home on Wednesday afternoon, which he said felt like 399 was sending “a surrogate” to visit him. He also voiced his opposition to the movement to remove grizzly bears from the Endangered Species List.
In his opening remarks, NMWA Executive Director Steve Seamons said the monument offers “a place to reflect on what she represented: resilience, wildness, and the fragile balance between people and the animals we share this landscape with.”
NMWA representatives estimated that between 600 and 700 people attended the dedication ceremony. Cars overflowed the museum parking lots, lining the entrance and exit roads and requiring traffic guidance from museum staff. Numerous Montana license plates dotted the lots, and multiple attendees sported T-shirts depicting 399 or the phrase “Queen of the Tetons.”
