Mourning the Queen of Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming

The bear was the mother of at least 18 cubs over the years and the star of a PBS documentary. Now people around the world are mourning her death after she was hit in a car accident. a car.

Animal lovers are reeling after the death of Grizzly 399, a beloved mother bear known as the queen of Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

Across the country and beyond, people are mourning the loss of the beloved 28-year-old grizzly bear who was struck by a car in the dark of night Tuesday in the Snake River Canyon south of Jackson, Wyoming. She was identified through ear tags and a microchip.

A man driving a Subaru on the way home from work hit the bear and called the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, which responded to the accident, Lincoln County Sheriff's Office Capt. Brian Andrew said. No charges will be filed against the driver and the incident will be treated like any other traffic accident involving game, such as deer or elk.

The Internet reacts

Nature lovers, professional photographers, agencies and tourists who were lucky enough to see Grizzly 399 in person posted on social media about the devastating loss of Grand Teton National Park's “Queen.”

“I’m not feeling well,” TikTok user @deal_wivit wrote in the description of a video posted on the platform.

“I’m crying too,” one commenter said. “She should stop by her cave.”

Others, from ordinary people to government agencies, remember the bear's legacy on X.

“I can't really explain how devastated I feel by the loss of a wild animal,” nature photographer Brynn Alise wrote in a post. “She meant so much to so many of us…There is a hole in my heart and I will cherish my pictures and videos of her forever.”

The US Department of the Interior also acknowledged the loss of the famous mother bear.

“Interior joins our partners, community members and friends in Wyoming and around the world in remembering Grizzly Bear 399,” the department said.

PBS also published a feature on Grizzly 399, which was the beginning of the documentary “Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons.”

“Today we mourn the loss of Grizzly 399,” it said. “The most famous bear in Grand Teton National Park.”

A mother and a star

According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, grizzly 399's one-year-old cub was with her when she was hit. The boy's whereabouts are unknown and there is no evidence that the yearling was also involved in the accident.

The cub, known to Grizzly 399 online fans as Spirit, was born in 2023, according to Chip Jenkins, superintendent of Grand Teton National Park.

“The grizzly bear is an iconic species that helps make the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem exceptional,” Jenkins said in a news release. “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.”

Grizzly 399 leaves a legacy

Grizzly 399, born about 1996, was captured in Grand Teton National Park in 2001 for research purposes, Grand Teton National Park bear biologist Justin Schwabedissen said during a conference call Wednesday afternoon at the park.

Over the past 23 years, Grizzly 399 has had eight litters – a total of 18 known cubs, with the first litter reported in 2004. In 2020, Grizzly 399 had a litter of four cubs. According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, a grizzly bear's typical litter size is two cubs.

“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, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service grizzly bear recovery coordinator, said in a news release.

Julia is a trends reporter for USA TODAY. You can connect with her LinkedInkeep following her X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram And TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at [email protected]

Greta Cross is a national trends reporter for USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at [email protected].

A mother and a star

Grizzly 399 leaves a legacy

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