Grizzly bear 399 from Grand Teton Park has died, final videos with cubs emerge

Grizzly bear 399 of Grand Teton National Park has died. The 28-year-old matriarch was hit by a car in the Snake River Canyon in Wyoming, the park said Wednesday. Several locals posted their tributes on social media and shared the bear's final videos with her cubs.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials said the bear was struck Tuesday evening. In a press release, the agency added that her identity was established using ear tags and a microchip. She had a one-year-old cub with her, whose whereabouts are not yet known. “At this time there is no evidence that the yearling was also involved in the incident, but the service is monitoring the area,” the release said.

“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,” said Hilary Cooley, grizzly bear recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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

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