Michael Hodges: The disappearing home and doomed fate of a Grand Teton bear
A place where the spectacular Teton range rises 6,000 feet above the valley floor, offering one of the most distinct and dramatic mountain fronts in the world.
Below the striking peaks, the mighty Snake River meanders through a sagebrush valley dotted with aspen and pine. And it is here that I once met a great grizzly bear.
She was known as Grizzly 399.
I've been filming in Grand Teton National Park and the Northern Rockies for 20 years. A few years ago, I had the honor of filming 399 when she had her quadruplets. It was the first trip I'd made to Grand Teton to specifically see the great bear.
And the last.
Why the last?
Because I saw what was happening. Could feel what was happening. I wanted to give the great bear space. I didn't want to be chasing her around the park, waiting in my car with heated leather seats, hoping she'd cross the road, all the while hemming her in.
I knew what was happening. Full-size commercial jets were flying overhead, landing at an international airport that should never even be there. Dropping off passengers to a growing town that wasn't meant to be there. Driving to stores that should have never been built there.
For 28 years, Grizzly 399's world shrunk all around her. Slowly, year by year, she had to make adjustments to the sprawl and greed of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. To the sprawl and greed of the human race.
She did the best she could as we humans closed in. As we built more and more storage facilities and hotels and developed properties merely for vacation rentals, so we could stuff more cash in our pockets, ultimately sacrificing in the process one of the most beautiful places the world has ever known.
She raised her cubs in all this for decades. Navigated through it all, a steady ship in a stormy sea. Each wave just a little taller than the last.
And yet the people came. More full-size commercial airliners roaring into an international airport. Dropping off people who wanted to 'own a piece of the Tetons.'
But when you buy or develop a house next to a national park, you don't capture a piece of that park.
You ruin it.
Megan Ross: Changes to the Endangered Species Act clear a path for species to go extinctWhat had once been a wild valley slowly turned into the suburbs, and Grizzly 399 handled it all with aplomb. She didn't have to. But she did.
More and more photographers swarmed to the Tetons to see her every year. More and more 'investment properties' went up, causing more people to drive the roadways. More stores were built. More drones flew overhead. More airplanes roared in the sky.
Each year, her world shrunk.
And this past fall, it finally closed in on her.
That poor driver didn't kill the great Grizzly 399.
We did.
You see, Grizzly 399 was not just a bear. She was a symbol of a truly wild animal trying to hang on in a changing world, a world that is all about 'me, me, I, I' and very little of 'Why?' or 'What can I do to help?'
This is a world where if the stores start to fade or look a little old, we build the stores 2 miles down the road. And 10 years later, we do it again. And again. Until that's all there is.
It never stops. Our need to consume, to stuff our pockets. To turn prairie meadows into self-storage facilities. To pave over everything that is true and wild. To pave over what is real.
Grizzly 399 deserved better.
The single best way you and I can honor her amazing legacy is to look at what happened to Grand Teton. And not repeat it elsewhere. We can honor her legacy by protecting our national parks by not bringing sprawl to their doorsteps. We can honor her legacy by pulling back on our obsessive need to develop everything and finally showing some tact and humility — .
You see, Grizzly 399 was so much more than a bear.
She is a lesson. And she is teaching us all, still. Always had been teaching us. Because that's just what a great mother does.
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USA Today
3 days ago
- USA Today
Ariel and Moana are racing to see who swims farther. Disney is tracking them.
Hundreds of spectators gathered near Disney's Vero Beach Resort in Florida over the weekend for a very special send-off. They waited patiently as one by one, a green sea turtle named Ariel and a loggerhead turtle named Moana slowly made their way back to the ocean on July 26, after laying eggs on the beach the night before. Freshly affixed with transmitters to track their location and other data, Ariel and Moana joined the nonprofit Sea Turtle Conservancy's annual Tour de Turtles, a friendly competition to raise awareness about issues impacting these species. Over the next three months, the Disney-sponsored turtles will race against sea turtles swimming on behalf of other organizations to see who travels the furthest. Fans can follow along on the tour's website, but Disney and its partners hope the public's care for these creatures continues long-term. Where do sea turtle nest? Disney's Vero Beach Resort sits along the southern end of the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, a roughly 20-mile stretch of beach that U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service describes as the 'most significant area for loggerhead sea turtle nesting in the world and the most significant area for green turtle nesting in North America.' 'If you go back several decades, these turtles were really in bad shape. Their populations were really struggling,' said Disney Conservation Director Dr. Zak Gezon. Disney has helped monitor and protect sea turtles near its Vero Beach Disney Vacation Club property since 2003. 'We've estimated that over 1.8 million sea turtle hatchlings have come out that we've been monitoring there over this time,' Gezon said. 'This year, we already have over 1,000 nests.' What are the different kinds of sea turtles? Three different sea turtles species nest near Disney's Vero Beach Resort: leatherbacks loggerheads and green sea turtles, like Crush and Squirt from 'Finding Nemo.' All of them are protected under the Endangered Species Act, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Dr. Mark Penning, vice president of Disney's Animals, Science & Environment, said turtles who come to Vero Beach likely hatched there, too. 'It's why, for us, it's important that we're not just protecting these sea turtles from hatching out and going to the sea,' he said. 'We're protecting this coastline so that those babies can come back in 30, 40, 50 years from now and lay their eggs as they need to continue the cycle.' What are the things that harm sea turtles? Humans are among the greatest threats to sea turtles, whether directly through boat strikes, fishing entanglements and harvesting meat and shells or indirectly contributing to pollution and threats to sea turtle habitats. Each Tour de Turtles competitor represents a different sea turtle cause. Ariel, who's sponsored by Disney Cruise Line, is helping raise awareness for beach erosion. Moana, who is sponsored by Disney Conservation Fund, is drawing attention to light pollution. "If you watch 'Moana,' her connection to the ocean and nature begins with her as a toddler out on the beach, helping a sea turtle get back out to the ocean,' Gezon said. 'And then as an adult ... she's a master wayfinder, navigating open oceans by looking at the stars and the moon, and she wouldn't be able to do that if there was huge amounts of light pollution.' During nesting season, Disney's Vero Beach Resort uses dimmed lighting to avoid confusing hatchlings who rely on the moonlight to guide them to the water. 'Just think if there was a light up at the hotel that looked like the moon. Then they're going to go the wrong way ... and probably not survive their journey," Penning said. Story continues below. Where do sea turtles go? Like fellow sea turtles in the wild, Tour de Turtles competitors go where they please after laying their eggs. 'Of course, the turtles don't know they're in a competition of any kind,' said Sea Turtle Conservancy Executive Director David Godfrey. 'They're just doing their thing, and we're watching them.' There are actually two different races in the tour: a leatherback race and a hard-shell race. Disney is taking part in the hard-shell race. They're broken up by category because leatherback nesting is earlier and leatherbacks travel further, by nature, so would always win. "They never really stop swimming," he said. "All the other hard-shelled species of sea turtle typically goes to a primary foraging ground, and takes up residency there." Godfrey noted it doesn't really matter who wins. "People are logging onto the Tour de Turtles website, and they're learning about these animals, and we're feeding them information about the threats they face." A Disney-sponsored sea turtle, Ebb, won last year's hard-shell race. While Gezon was proud to finally win, he said, "Being able to have a positive impact on nature and have fun and be an inspiration, that's what it's all about." How to protect sea turtles Beachgoers can help protect sea turtles by taking care of the beach, picking up litter, clearing obstacles like sandcastles that could encumber hatchlings, and not using bright lights near the shoreline at night during nesting season. For beachgoers lucky enough to see a sea turtle coming up to nest, Penning suggested staying away. "Let her do her thing and be respectful of the fact that this is a very important event for her. Let's leave her to it.' Godfrey said people who care about sea turtles can also support businesses and organizations that support these creatures. He recommended using Charity Navigator's website to find top-rated charities. 'There are small, local organizations that work with turtles. There are larger organizations. People can do their own research online and find out what groups are doing,' he said. Disney Conservation Fund has funded Sea Turtle Conservancy for 25 years and donated millions of dollars to supporting sea turtle conservation worldwide. Not just for thrills: The real-life magic Disney is working to save animals What's the best time to see sea turtles? Florida's sea turtle nesting season runs from March through October, according to Florida State Parks. Leatherback turtles nest on the early side while hard-shell sea turtles like loggerheads and green turtles nest later. Eggs hatch about two months after they're laid, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which maintains a list of public sea turtle walks and state-approved sea turtle facilities for people interesting in viewing. Penning said the Tour de Turtles is the best time to see sea turtles at Disney's Vero Beach Resort because guests can 'come up close and know you're not doing any harm.' Disney World guests can see loggerhead and green turtles all year-round at EPCOT's Seas with Nemo & Friends. Is Vero Beach close to Disney? Vero Beach is about 100 miles away from Walt Disney World, on Florida's Atlantic coast.
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Travel + Leisure
28-07-2025
- Travel + Leisure
This Tiny Town in Jackson Hole Is One of the Most Underrated Spots in the Valley—Here's How to Visit
For those travelers unfamiliar with Jackson Hole, Wyoming, there are two common misconceptions that persist. The first is calling the dramatic mountain range towering over the landscape the 'Grand Tetons,' when, in fact, these craggy peaks are simply the Tetons; Grand Teton is just the name of the highest peak. Second, there's the belief that Jackson Hole is a town—it's actually a valley comprising several small towns and communities, including Jackson, Teton Village (where you'll find Jackson Hole Mountain Resort), Moose, Moran, and Wilson. While those visiting Jackson Hole regularly spend time in Jackson, the location of the iconic antler arches, and Teton Village—and likely pass through Moose and Moran during an excursion to nearby Grand Teton National Park—it's all too easy to completely miss Wilson, population 1,255. A mother moose and her calf in Wilson. 'Wilson is about 15 to 20 minutes away from the hustle and bustle of the town of Jackson,' Lela Rose, the founder of her eponymous clothing brand, tells Travel + Leisure . Rose, who has a home in Jackson Hole, opened the Lela Rose Ranch flagship store in Wilson in Dec. 2022. 'It's where you see old Jackson mingle with new, all while keeping its quiet charm. It isn't unusual to see moose come up on our porch at the store or roam the parking lot—that's how quaint and quiet it is,' she says. Though tiny, Wilson is filled with small businesses, must-try restaurants, and several haunts frequented by true Jackson Hole locals. 'In Wilson proper, you can't miss breakfast at Nora's. It's an American classic for a good reason,' says Megan Gallagher, the director and founder of Jackson Hole Food & Wine, an annual food festival. Be sure to arrive hungry; you'll want to have plenty of room for the hearty breakfast burrito or the famous banana bread French toast. Persephone Westbank, located north of Wilson's 'downtown' area, is another of Gallagher's go-tos for coffee and pastries. 'The kouign amann is a personal favorite, and the chocolate chip cookies are great souvenirs and takeaway gifts,' she says, adding that the granola is 'not to be missed.' When asked how they'd spend their ideal day in Wilson, both Gallagher and Rose mention starting the morning with bagels from Pearl Street Bagels. Gallagher also suggests popping into Aspens Market for gourmet groceries or cooking gear and Westside Wine and Spirits for its 'excellent selection' of beverages. If you'd rather grab a drink out than open a bottle of wine in your hotel room or rental, there's exactly one place you need to go. 'Stagecoach is a local watering hole where you'll see true cowboys mixing with mountain bikers,' says Rose, who recommends getting the establishment's tacos for dinner and staying for late-night pool or dancing. A woman wearing a Lela Rose outfit at a ranch in Wilson. There's more to Wilson than just great food and an authentic bar scene, though. According to Rose, visitors should make a point to check out Wilson Back Country Sports for bike or ski rentals, shop 'merch from the OG ski legends in Jackson Hole' at Teton Gravity Research, and experience the Teton Raptor Center 'to learn all about raptors in the area and support their conservation efforts.' As far as overnight accommodations in Wilson, Airbnbs or other home rentals will be your best bet. Otherwise, there are a handful of T+L-approved hotels in nearby Jackson. Hotel Yellowstone is a serene, adults-only property that just opened last year, and The Virginian Lodge is a family-friendly option with an outdoor pool, fire pits, and a fast-casual burger joint.
UPI
08-07-2025
- UPI
'Tiger King' cast member 'Doc' Antle sentenced for animal trafficking
July 8 (UPI) -- Bhagavan "Doc" Antle of "Tiger King" is going to federal prison for crimes related to trafficking exotic animals after being sentenced Tuesday in Charleston, S.C. U.S. District Court of South Carolina Judge Joseph Lawson III sentenced Antle, 65, to serve 12 months and one day, plus a $55,000 fine and three years of supervised release for violating the Lacey Act, WBTW reported. The Lacey Act bans the sale of illegally acquired wildlife, fish or plants, including those that are designated as protected species by the federal government. Antle entered guilty pleas to conspiracy and money laundering charges in November 2023 and was a cast member of the popular Netflix documentary series "Tiger King" that debuted on Netflix in March 2020. "I made a mistake," Antle told the court on Tuesday. "I did stupid things that never should have taken place, and I'm hoping to pull it back together." Antle founded the Myrtle Beach Safari wildlife preserve in South Carolina and was accused of conspiring to arrange the purchase or sale of two tigers, two lion cubs, two cheetah cubs and a young chimpanzee from September 2018 to May 2020. The animals are protected by the federal Endangered Species Act. Federal prosecutors said Antle hid the transactions by using bulk cash payments and falsified paperwork to hide the financial transactions by making them appear to be donations to the non-profit wildlife preserve. Antle also was accused of laundering proceeds in exchange for a 15% fee related to transporting and harboring "illegal aliens" from February to April 2022. Police arrested Antle in June 2022 on charges of wildlife trafficking, for which he was convicted on four counts in a commonwealth court in Frederick County, Va., in 2023, WCIV reported. The Virginia court sentenced Antle to a suspended sentence of two concurrent years for each charge and $10,000 in fines. An appellate court overturned two of those convictions, and he was banned from working with, possessing, trading or otherwise engaging in activities involving non-native species in Virginia for five years. Two of Antle's employees also were convicted for their part in the criminal activities. Meredith Bybee served a year of probation for selling a chimpanzee, and Andrew Sawyer served two years of probation for helping Antle launder money.
