Raspberry, The ‘Grizzly 399 Of Yellowstone’ Missing For A Year, Feared To Be Dead

For years, a grizzly called Raspberry was practically as dependable as Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone National Park. She usually emerged in May, frequently with cubs in tow, and was highly visible from the road on the park’s east side. After gaining a huge and loyal following, she came to be regarded as “The Grizzly 399 of Yellowstone”—a peer of Wyoming’s most famous bear.

Raspberry was last seen and photographed high up in the Sylvan Pass area on May 23, 2025. Her yearling cub, Little Bear, was with her. There also has not been a confirmed sighting of Little Bear since that day, although some say a bear that looks the right age has been spotted in Raspberry’s favorite haunts. A grizzly carcass was found in the area in early June 2025. Some were convinced it was Raspberry. But others said no.

Yellowstone spokeswoman Linda Veress stated in an email that the park collected DNA samples from the adult female grizzly that was killed by another bear in the Sylvan Pass area last summer. However, the park never captured or handled the bear that photographers call “Raspberry,” so there is no DNA for comparison. “The park does not refer to individual bears by names,” Veress stated. The bear killed near Sylvan Pass was 16 years old; photographers say Raspberry was 18 years old. “As far as we know, the bear known to some as ‘Raspberry’ has not been observed so far this year. We cannot verify that the bear killed last summer was this bear or not.”

Jack Bayles, who has observed and photographed grizzlies in Yellowstone for years and was a loyal follower of Grizzly 399, saw and photographed Raspberry and Little Bear on May 23, 2025. His photos might be the last ever taken of her alive. He told Cowboy State Daily that although the outlook seems grim, he thinks there is a chance she could still be out there. Last spring there was much mating activity in the area, including large males drawn to her offspring. It could be that Raspberry went into the backcountry and stayed there to keep Little Bear safe from males that might try to kill the cub. “Pending confirmed DNA results, I’m not going to say she’s dead. Pending her showing up walking down the road, I’m not going to say she’s alive,” he said.

Wildlife photographer Deby Dixon said she has resigned to Raspberry probably never returning. She recently posted a tribute to Raspberry on social media. “Everybody I’ve talked to felt from the moment that carcass was discovered that it was her and that she is gone,” Dixon said.

Even as she reached a mature age for a grizzly, Raspberry was remarkably robust until she was struck by a vehicle, most likely on the night of Oct. 16-17, 2022. The accident caused severe damage to her right leg and hip. “I watched her become an old bear overnight,” Bayles said. Dixon said the injury slowed Raspberry down, but her tenacity was impressive. “She could not bend her hip, and she appeared to be getting into more and more pain as time went on,” Dixon said. Most female grizzlies keep their cubs for two years, but Raspberry kept hers for three.

Now, Raspberry’s offspring are carrying on her legacy. Snow, born in 2015, and Jam, born in 2020, have both gained a reputation for hanging out near the roadside, like their mother, being highly visible and remarkably tolerant of crowds. “They are fine with a crowd,” Dixon said. Bayles said that even if he never sees Raspberry again, he will always remember her fondly. “Within the context of grizzlies, she was a calm, cool, chill bear,” he said.