Famous grizzly bear dead after being hit by car in Wyoming

From staff reports

The world’s most famous grizzly bear was hit by a car and killed in Wyoming this week.

The National Park Service said in a news release that grizzly bear 399 was struck by a vehicle on Highway 26/89 in the Snake River Canyon south of the town of Jackson on Tuesday. Officials confirmed the female bear’s identity through ear tags and a microchip.

Known to her fans simply as “399,” she was the oldest reproducing female grizzly in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem at 28 years old. She was often seen near roadways outside of Jackson with her cubs and became immensely popular with wildlife photographers and grizzly enthusiasts around the world.

Grizzly 399 has been the subject of books, a PBS documentary and even an Instagram account that has more than 58,000 followers. She had 18 cubs.

“People around the world have followed grizzly bear 399 for several decades,” said Hilary Cooley, the grizzly bear recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in a statement.

Chip Jenkins, the superintendent of Grand Teton National Park, said in a statement that 399 was “perhaps the most prominent ambassador for the species.

“She has inspired countless visitors into conservation stewardship around the world and will be missed,” Jenkins said.

At the time of the wreck, a yearling cub was with her. Park officials wrote that the cub’s whereabouts are now unknown, but there’s no evidence to suggest that it was hit.

This was the second time a grizzly was killed in a vehicle collision in the Yellowstone region this year. On average, 3.3 bears a year have died after being hit by cars since 2009.