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Grizzly 399, “Queen of the Grand Tetons” in Wyoming, killed by vehicle

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Grizzly 399, “Queen of the Grand Tetons” in Wyoming, killed by vehicle

Grizzly 399 had a one-year-old cub with her when she was struck by the vehicle. The boy's whereabouts are unknown, but there is no evidence that he was involved. Grizzly 399 was featured in a PBS documentary.

Grizzly 399, a popular mother bear known as the queen of Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, has died after being hit by a car, the US Fish & Wildlife Service reports.

The 28-year-old brown grizzly bear was fatally struck by a vehicle Tuesday evening in the Snake River Canyon, south of Jackson, Wyoming. She was identified through ear tags and a microchip.

According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Grizzly 399 had a one-year-old cub with her when she was struck. The boy's whereabouts are unknown and there is no evidence that the yearling was also involved in the accident. The cub, known to Grizzly 399 online fans as Spirit, was born in 2023, according to Chip Jenkins, superintendent of Grand Teton National Park.

“The grizzly bear is an iconic species that helps make the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem exceptional,” Chip Jenkins, superintendent of Grand Teton National Park, said in a news release. “Grizzly bear 399 was perhaps the species’ most prominent ambassador. She inspired countless visitors to support conservation around the world and we will miss her.”

Grizzly 399 leaves a legacy

Grizzly 399, born about 1996, was captured in Grand Teton National Park in 2001 for research purposes, Grand Teton National Park bear biologist Justin Schwabedissen said during a conference call Wednesday afternoon at the park.

Over the past 23 years, Grizzly 399 has had eight litters – a total of 18 known cubs, with the first litter reported in 2004. In 2020, Grizzly 399 had a litter of four cubs. According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, a grizzly bear's typical litter size is two cubs.

“People from around the world have been tracking 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, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service grizzly bear recovery coordinator, said in a news release.

When Schwabedissen visited Grand Teton National Park in 2011, he recalled a special memory of a guest experiencing grizzlies for the first time.

“I remember one evening when a recently retired woman who had worked on a factory floor in the Midwest for over 30 years had always dreamed of seeing a bear in the wild and Grand Teton and Yellowstone (National Park),” he said. “She cried that night because she had the opportunity to be here.”

Grizzly 399 was the star of the documentary

In February, Grizzly 399 was featured in her own PBS documentary, “Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons.” The 53-minute documentary follows Grizzly 399 as he raises four new cubs. The documentary is available to stream on PBS and Amazon Prime Video.

Animal and nature photographer Thomas Mangelsen is one of several interviewees featured in the documentary. At the time of Mangelsen's interview with PBS, he had been photographing Grizzly 399 for 15 years.

“399 changed people’s attitudes toward grizzly bears,” he says in the documentary. “And so it will likely save bears from being taken off the endangered species list and killed.”

Tyler Brasington, part of Grand Teton National Park's bear management team, shared his love for grizzly 399 on Facebook Wednesday afternoon.

“The story of Grizzly 399 was closely tied to the structure of the park,” Brasington wrote. “As one of the first visible and breeding female grizzly bears in the Southern Grizzly Bear Recovery Area, she raised her cubs near roads, drawing crowds and awe from onlookers. I will never forget the many hours she spent managing 'bear jams' where hundreds would gather, their faces lighting up with excitement and wonder at the sight of her and her cubs.

“We still have more work to do”

According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 49 grizzly bears died from vehicle collisions in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem between 2009 and 2023. This year alone, two grizzly bears died, including 399 grizzly bears, due to vehicle collisions that disrupted the ecosystem.

“We have more work to do in this county, in this community, to ensure that we can successfully coexist with the local bear population, whether grizzly bears or black bears,” Schwabedissen said.

Bears that roam Grand Teton National Park are not limited to park property. Schwabedissen said these bears are “transboundary species” and are found in several parks in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and on private property.

When it comes to how residents can help, Schwabedissen cites bear-resistant trash cans and electric fences to protect backyard livestock like chickens.

Greta Cross is a national trends reporter for USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at [email protected].

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