The remains of a beloved grizzly bear who died last month after being hit by a car in Wyoming have been returned to Grand Teton national park.
In a statement released on Friday, the US Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it returned the ashes of Grizzly No 399, a 28-year-old female grizzly bear, to the Pilgrim Creek area of the national park where she spent much of her life.
The bear, which was one of only 12 known grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to reach the age of 28 or older, was the oldest documented grizzly bear to reproduce in the ecosystem. In 2023, Grizzly No 399 gave birth to her yearling when she was 27 years old. In total, Grizzly No 399 produced 18 offspring throughout her life.
On 22 October, Grizzly No 399 was killed in an accidental vehicle collision approximately 40 miles south of Grand Teton national park. A yearling was with Grizzly No 399 when she was hit and according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, it has not yet been located though there is no indication that it was also hit by the car.
Following the accident, more than a thousand people took to Facebook to mourn Grizzly No 399’s death, with some calling her a queen and others calling her an ambassador for her species.
“Grizzly bear #399 captivated people around the world, inspiring many to learn about the conservation of this important species,” Hilary Cooley, the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s grizzly bear recovery coordinator said in a statement, adding: “We received an outpouring of appreciation for #399 and aimed to honor these sentiments in handling her remains.”
Andrea Zaccardi, carnivore conservation legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity, called Grizzly No 399 a “Yellowstone icon” in a statement.
“Tragedies like this highlight why we need to maintain federal protections for bears and do more to ensure their safety from cars and other threats,” she said.
Between 2009 and 2023, there have been 49 grizzly bear deaths due to vehicle collisions in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
