Grizzly 399 killed in vehicle collision

JACKSON, Wyo. – Iconic Grizzly Bear 399, the Tetons' longtime animal mascot, died Tuesday evening, Oct. 22, after being struck by a vehicle in the Snake River Canyon, according to a release from Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) and US Fish and Wildlife Service.

The bear's identity was confirmed through ear tags and a microchip, according to the statement. 399 had her one-year-old cub with her at the time of the accident, authorities said. They noted that the boy's whereabouts are “currently unknown” and added that the cub may not have been involved in the accident. The National Park Service monitors the area.

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

According to a Wyoming Highway Patrol representative, the agency received reports of two grizzly bears wandering onto the road on US89 around 11 p.m. Officials suspected the bears were trapped in the road area between the river slope and the steep canyon walls. The bears seemed unable to climb into the mountains and kept returning to the road.

The beloved grandmother bear is believed to have been born in 1996. This spring, she stepped out with the one-year-old boy in tow, delighting fans that she had survived another winter. She was a productive mother, responsible for more than 20 boys and grandchildren.

“People from around the world have been tracking grizzly bear 399 for several decades,” Hilary Cooley, grizzly bear recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said in the statement. “At 28 years old, she was the oldest known reproducing grizzly bear in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.”

399 has starred in numerous books and documentaries, often about her bumper crop of four cubs (born in 2020) as well as her status as an ambassador for Grand Teton National Park (GTNP).

“There has never been a bear in history that has beaten the odds as well as 399,” said photographer Thomas Mangelsen Buckrail Earlier this year.

While she's been a fixture at GTNP since the mid-2000s, attracting hordes of professional and amateur photographers, 399 has also made appearances in the city of Jackson over the years, stopping by for a walk and a sniff.

Stay tuned to learn more about Grizzly 399's legacy.