Honoring Grizzly 399: Days after death, remains of beloved bear return to Grand Teton
"We received an outpouring of appreciation for 399 and aimed to honor these sentiments in handling her remains," U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Hilary Cooley said.
A week and a half after her unexpected death, Grizzly 399 has returned home.
Grizzly bear 399's ashes were returned to the Pilgrim Creek area of Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on Friday morning. Though she roamed through much of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Grand Teton was a special place for Grizzly 399.
“Grizzly bear 399 captivated people around the world, inspiring many to learn about the conservation of this important species,” Hilary Cooley, grizzly bear recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, said in a news release. “We received an outpouring of appreciation for 399 and aimed to honor these sentiments in handling her remains.”
The 28-year-old brown grizzly bear was fatally struck by a vehicle in Snake River Canyon, just south of Jackson, Wyoming, on the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 23.
Grizzly 399 had a yearling cub with her when she was struck, but because the cub doesn't have a tracking collar, it's whereabouts are unknown. However, there is no indication that the cub was involved in the accident.
"Given the bear’s age and the time of year, the yearling has a strong chance of surviving independently, and there are no current plans to capture it," a news release stated.
Who was Grizzly 399?
Born around 1996, Grizzly 399 was captured by Grand Teton National Park in 2001 for research. Over the past 23 years, she had eight litters — 18 known cubs in total, with the first litter reported in 2004.
In February, Grizzly 399 starred in her own PBS documentary, "Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons." The 53-minute documentary follows Grizzly 399 as she raises four new cubs. It is available for streaming on PBS and Amazon Prime Video.
Grizzly 399's death marks the second bear mortality this year caused from a vehicle strike in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Between 2009 and 2023, 49 grizzly bears were killed in vehicle collisions in the region.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at Paste BN. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com.