Grizzly 399, the world's most famous bear, killed by vehicle in Grand Teton National Park

A beloved bear known as the world's most famous grizzly bear has died after being struck by a vehicle in Grand Teton National Park in western Wyoming, part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

According to the National Park Service, Grizzly 399 died on a highway in the Snake River Canyon south of Jackson on Tuesday evening, October 22nd.

She leaves behind a young cub whose whereabouts are currently unknown. The yearling is not believed to have been involved in the crash, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is still gathering information about the incident.

“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, Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said in a statement.

Grizzly 399 was born in the winter of 1996 in a cave in the Pilgrim Creek Wilderness, Wyoming. She was captured in 2001 by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, who placed a radio collar on her 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 young, eight of which have reached adulthood. The matriarch is considered one of the most famous and photographed grizzly bears in the world.

Accounts dedicated to her have amassed thousands of followers on Facebook and Instagram, both of which expressed condolences over her death.

Perhaps one of the reasons she was so famous was that she frequently hung out on streets and in human settlements, giving thousands of visitors the opportunity to observe her and her family.

It is believed that she inhabited this environment to protect her young from aggressive males that tend to lurk in more remote areas. Unfortunately, it was her tendency to roam near roads that ultimately led to her death.

“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,” commented Angi Bruce, director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

Vehicle collisions are a serious threat to grizzly bears in the United States. 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.