A beloved bear, known as the world’s most famous grizzly, has died after being struck by a vehicle at Grand Teton National Park in western Wyoming, part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Grizzly 399 died on Tuesday night, October 22, on a highway in Snake River Canyon south of Jackson, according to the National Park Service.
She leaves behind a young cub whose whereabouts are currently unknown. It’s not believed the yearling was involved in the crash, but the US Fish and Wildlife Service is still gathering information about the incident.
“People from around the world have followed grizzly bear 399 for several decades. At 28 years old, she was the oldest known reproducing female grizzly bear in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem,” Hilary Cooley, Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, said in a statement.
Grizzly 399 was born in the winter of 1996 at a den site in the wilds of Pilgrim Creek, Wyoming. She was captured in 2001 by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, who fitted her with a radio collar and gave her the name she has today.
She stood over 2 meters (7 feet) tall on her hind legs and weighed a whopping 181 kilograms (400 pounds).
Since 2004, she has given birth to 18 cubs, eight of which have reached adulthood. The matriarch has been called one of the world’s most famous and most photographed grizzly bears.
Accounts dedicated to her have amassed thousands of followers on Facebook and Instagram, both of which have shared messages of condolence about her passing.
Perhaps one of the reasons she was so famous was that she frequently hung out around roads and human settlements, giving thousands of visitors the opportunity to observe her and her family.
It’s thought she inhabited these environments as a way to keep her cubs safe from aggressive males that tend to lurk in more remote areas. Sadly, it was her tendency to roam near roads that ultimately led to her death.
“Wildlife vehicle collisions and conflict are unfortunate. We are thankful the driver is okay and understand the community is saddened to hear that grizzly bear 399 has died,” commented Angi Bruce, Wyoming Game and Fish Department Director.
Vehicle collisions are a serious threat to grizzlies in the US. Between 2009 and 2023, 49 grizzly bears died in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem after being struck by a moving vehicle – an average of 3.3 bears per year.
