JACKSON, Wyoming — A grizzly who officials believe was the oldest female reproducing bear in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem was killed Tuesday when she was struck by a car on a highway near Jackson.
The National Park Service says in a news release that the identity of the bear, known as grizzly bear 399, was confirmed through ear tags and a microchip. The bear had a yearling cub with her when she was hit on Highway 26-89 in Snake River Canyon. Officials don’t believe the cub was injured but have not located it.
“Unfortunately, vehicle collisions with wildlife, including grizzly bears, are not uncommon across their range,” the news release says. The driver of the vehicle was not injured and the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
No. 399 was 28 years old and was well-known by wildlife enthusiasts and park officials. Each spring, observers eagerly awaited her emergence from her den to see how many cubs she had birthed over the winter — then quickly shared the news online.
The bear had 18 known cubs in eight litters over the years, including a litter of four in 2020. She stood around 7 feet (2.1 meters) tall and weighed about 400 pounds (180 kilograms).
“The grizzly bear is an iconic species that helps make the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem so extraordinary. Grizzly bear 399 has been perhaps the most prominent ambassador for the species,” Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Chip Jenkins said in a statement. “She has inspired countless visitors into conservation stewardship around the world and will be missed.”
The momma bear had fans all over the world, said tour guides Jack and Gina Bayles, who run the Team 399 Facebook page and planned to visit the site where she was killed.
“You might say she was the accidental ambassador of the species,” Jack Bayles said. “My single biggest concern is that people are now gonna lose interest in bears.”
According to the National Parks Service, vehicle collisions have led to 49 grizzly bear deaths from 2009 to 2023 in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Two grizzlies have been killed by collisions in 2024.
(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)