A grizzly bear that delighted visitors to Grand Teton for decades has been killed by a vehicle in Wyoming

Cheyenne, Wyo
AP
—

A famous grizzly bear beloved for decades by countless tourists, biologists and professional wildlife photographers in Grand Teton National Park is dead after being struck by a vehicle in western Wyoming.

Grizzly No. 399 died Tuesday evening on a highway in the Snake River Canyon south of Jackson, park officials said in a statement Wednesday.

At least 28 years old, the bear was the oldest known reproducing female grizzly in the Yellowstone ecosystem. Every spring, wildlife enthusiasts waited for her to emerge from her den to see how many young she had given birth over the winter.

Named after the identity tag that researchers attached to her ear, she amazed everyone by reproducing into old age. Unlike many grizzly bears, she was often seen near roads in Grand Teton, attracting crowds and traffic jams. Scientists speculate that such behavior kept male grizzly bears at a distance so that they did not pose a threat to their cubs. Some believe that male grizzly bears kill their cubs to put the mother into heat.

A one-year-old cub was with the bear when she was hit. While it is not believed he was injured, the boy's whereabouts are unknown, the statement said.

The driver remained uninjured. No further details about the crash were initially disclosed.

“Collisions and conflicts with wildlife vehicles are unfortunate. We are grateful that the driver is OK and understand that the community is saddened to hear that Grizzly Bear 399 has died,” Angi Bruce, director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, said in the statement.

News of the bear's death spread quickly on a Facebook page that tracks the sow and other wildlife in Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks. More than 1,000 people quickly posted comments calling her a grizzly bear queen, legend and ambassador. They were heartbroken and devastated by her death, calling it a tragic loss. Many expressed concern for their young.

Many consider the grizzly bears in the Yellowstone region to be a conservation success story. Although they remain protected under the Endangered Species Act, their numbers have increased tenfold since the 1970s, to as many as 1,000 animals.

However, population growth has led to more encounters with humans and livestock, with bears often on the losing end. Hunters sometimes mistake grizzly bears for legal black bears or kill grizzly bears in self-defense – and wildlife managers often kill grizzly bears that prey on cattle and sheep.