Felicia, a Young Grizzly Bear Mom in Trouble

By Jorn Vangoidtsenhoven

Jorn Vangoidtsenhoven, wildlife photographer and D: W Team member

This is the story of 8-year-old grizzly bear #863, a federally protected, endangered animal unfortunate enough to live a few miles outside of an area designated as a National Park. To the millions of tourists who visit the Jackson Hole, Wyoming or Grand Teton National Park annually, this bear is known as Felicia.

Felicia makes regular appearances with her cubs along the side of a well-used section of a mountain highway in the Togwotee Pass. Her adorable cubs, along with Felicia's relaxed, calm attitude toward endless gawkers, created a celebrity from a mama bear protecting her young.

This roadside bear has become so popular among tourists, photographers, and others that authorities concluded that they had two options: manage the humans or manage the bear for the safety of all. For now, the bear has drawn the short end of the stick, infuriating conservationists and wildlife enthusiasts.

Who is Felicia?

Young grizzly bear, Felicia is a patient mother. She lost her last set of cubs during their first year. Will this one survive? Image: ©Jorn Vangoidtsenhoven

Felicia is believed to have been born about 100 miles northwest of her current home, as the crow flies, near the historic town of Cody, Wyoming. Shortly after birth, she was relocated by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to her current location: a high mountain region with few, if any, human population and miles of wilderness in all directions.

Some relocated bears almost immediately return to their original capture area, but Felicia accepted her new environment and settled down. She denned every winter near the Continental Divide at an elevation around 9,500 feet and spent her summers grazing and hunting in the area located roughly in the middle between the small Wyoming towns of Moran and Dubois.

Keeping her Cubs Safe

With her spring 2021 cubs in tow, ever vigilant Felicia stays close to a busy highway where dangerous male grizzlies are unlikely to follow. Image: ©Jorn Vangoidtsenhoven

A wild animal's habituation to humans takes many forms. Like other grizzlies living in or near national parks, Felicia soon learned that staying close to humans keeps her cubs safe. Male grizzly bears ('boars'), are known to kill cubs to force the female grizzly (sow) back into fertility. But the males typically avoid humans, which is why, when she has cubs, Felicia spends much of her time near a relatively busy road.

Felicia is not the only grizzly "mom" around Jackson Hole to exhibit this behavior. The world-famous grizzly 399, dubbed "Queen of the Tetons" by her many fans, also uses proximity to humans as a safety net for her cubs. However, 399 lives a few miles down the mountain from Felicia and spends most of her life in Grand Teton National Park, although she, too, is known to wander into the Bridger-Teton National Forest and nearby towns occasionally.

The Making of a Celebrity Bear, #369 becomes Felicia

In spring of 2019, bear lovers were thrilled to find Felicia with cubs - but the happiness was not to last. Image: ©Jorn Vangoidtsenhoven

In the spring of 2019, news spread like wildfire among wildlife enthusiasts and tourists. A grizzly sow with two cubs was regularly seen and easily watchable along Togwotee Pass, crossing the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Inevitably, crowds began driving up the mountain road, quickly followed by commercial wildlife tours and photographers, in the hopes of spotting this wild grizzly and her offspring. Felicia's cubs were dubbed "Salt" and "Pepper."

Bear Love and Human Bad Behavior

Grizzly gawkers create a hazard for themselves, other traffic and the bears. There is no place to safely park along this winding stretch of road. Image thanks to: Ryan Dorgan, Jackson Hole News & Guide and the Trib

As people crowded the curvy mountain road, things started getting out of hand. Some uneducated tourists threw food at the bear or approached her much too close. Someone flew a drone over her. People parked their cars in the driving lanes or walked on the road to get a better look. Note: always remember that a grizzly can potentially cause serious harm, especially a grizzly sow defending her cubs.

The nearby National Parks require a minimum distance of 100 yards between humans and bears.

The Nature of Nature

Even their mother’s devotion could save neither Salt nor Pepper, Felicia’s 2019 cubs. They both died of accidents and mishaps in their first year. Image: ©Jorn Vangoidtsenhoven

The wild is a tough place to raise a family. Heartbreak among Felicia lovers occurred later in 2019 when local bear followers broke the news that Felicia had lost her two coys (cub of the year).

In 2020, Felicia didn't have cubs to protect, so she was rarely seen along the road. However, she was seen briefly in the company of a big male grizzly boar: a hopeful sign that 2021 would bring cubs again.

Fast forward to the spring of 2021: Felicia is spotted in early May with two coys! A few social media posts later, and crowds once again started to gather along the curvy and steep mountain road.

Felicia’s 2021cubs are oblivious to on-lookers, but their mother is very aware. A female grizzly can weigh 600-800 pound / 272/363kg. Image: Jorn Vangoidtsenhoven

This section of the road is also frequented by heavy logging and semi-trucks.

Complaints of dangerous driving conditions on the pass started reaching the authorities. Things looked like they were headed in only one direction: someone would get hurt. The question of how to handle the situation became critical. The options were few: direct traffic, manage people's behaviors, or manage the bears? The overlapping jurisdictions between multiple federal, state, and local government organizations added to the challenge.

When Humans Behave Badly, Haze the Bears

The US Fish and Wildlife Service and its partners used this image to demonstrate the dangerous mix of bears, people and high-speed traffic on the Togwotee Pass (Bridger-Teton National Forest) Image: Thanks to WyoFile

The government agencies involved; which include the National Forest Service, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Wyoming Game & Fish, and the Wyoming State Troopers, decided to keep the bears away from the roadside by using heavy hazing of the bears.

Hazing involves firing loud noises and non-lethal rounds at the bears throughout the day between sunrise and sundown each time they approach the road. The agencies decided on a period of two weeks ending late June 2021 for the experiment. The goal was to teach Felicia to stay away from the roads.

A USFWS Grizzly Recovery Coordinator Weighs In on Hazing

Early spring 2021, Felicia “tastes” the air. Their first year is an especially precarious time for coys (cubs-of-the-year.) As many as 50% of all grizzly cubs will die before reaching adulthood. . Image: ©Jorn Vangoidtsenhoven

USFWS Grizzly Recovery Coordinator, Hilary Cooley
"I know people have trouble with hazing, but this is a human safety issue. The bears, if they grow up roadside, that's not a good way to grow up. So we want to change her behavior, help the bears out and keep people safe." U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Grizzly Recovery Coordinator Hilary Cooley told the Jackson Hole News&Guide" The fact that four different government agencies are involved with different jurisdictions doesn't make it easier. "Unlike the National Park, the pass is not designed to support such roadside activity. We [the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the National Forest Service] don't have any jurisdiction over traffic, it's really different."

It Requires “Manpower” To Keep a Bear (and Humans) Safe

Jackson Hole Grizzly Advocates have launched their own program to keep people away from Felicia. (Michelle Bevier McCormick/Cindy Campbell) Thanks to WyoFile

One of the challenges to keeping both the bears and humans safe is having enough manpower. Federal and state agencies don't have the resources currently to supervise visitors on Togwotee Pass at Felicia. "We just don't have enough staff to be there for the full season from dawn till dusk to manage, to enforce," said Cooley. "To do it consistently in a way to keep the humans primarily, but certainly the bears too, safe."

In nearby Grand Teton National Park, the grizzly/human situation is very different thanks to the 'Wildlife Brigade', an organization of trained volunteers specifically created to supervise visitors and wildlife in the National Park.

The authorities would evaluate the success of the hazing campaign at the end of June.

"If she doesn't change her behavior at all, then the next step would probably be relocation. Hopefully, this is successful, and we don't need to move her, but we might.

Euthanasia would very much be a last resort." said Cooley.

✍︎ Editor's Note: The Wildlife Brigade, an organization of volunteers vital to the safety of both humans and wildlife in Grand Teton National Park, is a project of and supported with training, equipment, and over-cite etc. by the non-profit Grand Teton National Park Foundation and its partners and donors.

Does Hazing Endanger an Endangered Species?

As hazing commenced, wildlife lovers feared the worst. They argued that one unintended consequence of daily hazings could be to turn Felicia's docile character into aggressive behavior towards humans. Or the hazing could effectively doom the four-month-old cubs by accidentally separating them from their mom. Witnesses cited this example: Felicia was recently seen being chased by a male grizzly bear. One cub came close to being lost during their attempt to escape, and just moments later, the family got hazed when Felicia tried to cross the road to safety. No doubt this all puts an immense amount of stress on this grizzly mom.

Once the hazing began, many spoke out against the decision, arguing for managing people and controlling the crowds' versus the [possible] adverse effects of hazing or relocation. Many feel that with all the tourist dollars flowing into the economy, greatly affected by the popularity of the area's wildlife, it is hard to understand that resources are not available to manage the situations that occur with wildlife viewings outside of the National Park borders. It may just be Felicia now, but another grizzly sow; or a different wild animal; can take up residency near another roadway in the National Forest, now or anytime in the future.

The Bear-Loving Public Speaks Out

Young grizzly bears, like Felicia’s ill-fated 2019 cub, can easily be separated from their mothers when spooked by loud noises and rubber bullets during hazing. Image: ©Jorn Vangoidtsenhoven

The problem is Traffic Control
Wildlife enthusiast Ronnie Sue Ambrosino writes, "The problem is not one of a bear being aggressive or being habituated. The problem is traffic control. I suggest the true problem should be addressed, and the lives of the three bears should not be held as collateral damage for the lack of law enforcement enforcing the laws. [...] If you have no compassion for a grizzly bear in nature, please don't lose sight of the financial benefit gained by tourism to the area. She is a living example of what Wyoming, Montana, Grand Teton National Park, and Yellowstone National Park offer to thousands of visitors each year."

Felicia is a National Treasure
Wildlife enthusiast Crystal Deatherage says, "At the end of the day, Felicia is a National Treasure. A young, breeding, endangered species.

[Felicia] is no less important than bears 399 or Blondie or 610, who, among others, are all roadside bears in the Teton National Park, a mere 25 miles away. These special bears receive effective crowd and traffic control from park managers and volunteers, enabling them to coexist with thousands of visitors experiencing up-close encounters annually. Consider the bears with names like Obsidian or Beryl or the black bears on the road near Roosevelt in Yellowstone (where I might add there is almost no available parking), or Snow or Raspberry and her cub. They live on the road in Yellowstone National Park, next door to Felicia's home. The National Park staff there also manages all these roadside bears. Their tactics work. Won't they please give a tried and true management style a chance?"

The Grand Teton mountains, perfect habitat for grizzly bears, but females with cubs find that being a little closer to humans keeps amorous males away from vulnerable cubs. Image: ©Jorn Vangoidtsenhoven

Social Media Weighs In to Save Felica

Several social media pages have been created to support Felicia, including a Facebook and Instagram page. A change.org petition, signed over 73,000 times at the time of writing and generating thousands of dollars in contributions, reads in part: "The bear is located on public land and has done nothing "wrong," she and her offspring have the misfortune of existing in a place where wildlife managers are choosing not to deal with traffic problems. This bear has shown zero signs of aggression, has not sought out human food rewards or posed a problem with residents or campers…

The Hazing Campaign is Declared Successful - for Now

Felicia’s 2021 Coys (cubs of the year) get their first experience with snow. Image: @Jorn Vangoidtsenhoven

The Executive Director of the non-profit Friends of Bridger-Teton, Scott Kosiba
Scott spoke to us once the hazing campaign concluded at the end of June. He said, "The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service hazing campaign was a success. Grizzly 863 … now seems to avoid being near the road. Hazing is not the ideal solution for a grizzly sow with young cubs, but for now, this is an absolute win. Felicia and her cubs are staying away from the road and U.S. Fish & Wildlife has no plans to either relocate or euthanize 863. To avoid Felicia re-habituating to being close to the road … there is a plan in place for the government agencies to have someone up on the pass through the end of the [2021] season. If she attempts to live close to the road again, they can manage the people or haze the bears."

Scott continues, "In every communication I've had with the government agencies, nobody wanted to relocate or euthanize her. We all want what's best for her. It's a difficult situation, however because of the interagency issues: the Forest Service or Fish & Wildlife cannot direct traffic or cite people for getting too close. Highway patrol has the ability to disperse crowds, but they don't have the capacity to place a squad car up there. With so many cooks in the kitchen, it was never as simple as if you have a bear on the road in the National Park."

What’s Next for Grizzly Bear, Felicia? It’s Up to Us

Felicia’s goal is to protect her cub, humans can help by using common sense: Keep your distance, do not feed or leave food to be found. Image: ©Jorn Vangoidtsenhoven

Felicia's situation points to the need for a longer-term solution to managing future wildlife-viewing situations outside of national Park borders. The question is: do the responsible agencies have the capacity, coordination and funding to deploy a solution similar to the one used by the neighboring Grand Teton National park where celebrity bears such as 399 and 610 live successfully near the roads and under the watchful eyes of the park's Wildlife Brigade?

At the end of the day, when things go wrong, wildlife typically pays the price.

From Scott Kosiba:
Says Scott, "Our community values celebrity bears like 399 but also the species as a whole. How does our behavior impact the wildlife? We need, especially in Teton county, to be having this conversation. We all care about these bears, whether we are in the general public or in a government agency. If we do care, what is the best thing we can do to guarantee their future?

Hazing was a last resort. In the future, I would like us to not get to that point, but this will require buy-in from the community. Educating the public to keep the bears wild. We are really grappling with how to educate the public to recreate responsibly, and it's an ongoing challenge to reach all visitors.

It's a huge challenge."

Using Common Sense to Keep Bears Like Felicia Safe

In order to keep these bears - and all wildlife - safe, we need to give them space to live. Wildlife is, and needs to be, wild. Image: ©Jorn Vangoidtsenhoven

We can all do our part by acting responsibly around wildlife. That includes easy things like keeping a safe distance from wild animals, not feeding wildlife (a fed bear is a dead bear), that means not leaving your food scraps around too, and paying attention to traffic rules if we decide to pull over in our car.

Protecting wildlife also includes being responsible on social media by not sharing specific locations, as this inevitably draws crowds. We all love our wildlife but let's be careful not to love our animals to death.

We will post updates as this story evolves.