Mother grizzly bear — one of Yellowstone’s oldest — is killed by car, officials say
A beloved grizzly bear was hit by a car and killed near a Wyoming national park, officials said.
People all around the world followed the bear, known as grizzly bear 399, for decades, the National Park Service said in a news release.
“At 28 years old, she was the oldest known reproducing female grizzly bear in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem,” said Hilary Cooley, the grizzly bear recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The bear was hit by a car on Highway 26/89 in Snake River Canyon south of Jackson, Wyoming, sometime on the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 22, officials said. Her identity was confirmed through ear tags and her microchip.
She’d had a yearling cub with her, though officials don’t know where the young bear is and don’t believe it was involved in the crash, officials said.
“Wildlife vehicle collisions and conflict are unfortunate,” said Angi Bruce, director at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. “We are thankful the driver is okay and understand the community is saddened to hear that grizzly bear 399 has died.”
The bear was featured in a PBS documentary where she was crowned “Queen of the Tetons.” The documentary, which premiered in May, follows grizzly 399 as she raises four cubs among threats to their survival, including “human encroachment in bear country.”
Car crashes with wildlife can be common across the species’ range, officials said. Nearly 50 grizzlies died in crashes from 2009 to 2023 in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and an average of 3.3 bears died from car crashes each year during that time period, officials said.
Two grizzlies died from car crashes in 2024, including this incident, officials said. The park service is investigating with state and local agencies.
“The grizzly bear is an iconic species that helps make the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem so extraordinary,” said Chip Jenkins, Grand Teton National Park’s superintendent. “Grizzly bear 399 has been perhaps the most prominent ambassador for the species. She has inspired countless visitors into conservation stewardship around the world and will be missed.”
This story was originally published October 23, 2024 at 6:25 PM with the headline "Mother grizzly bear — one of Yellowstone’s oldest — is killed by car, officials say."
