Grand Teton grizzly bear No. 399 that delighted visitors for decades is killed by vehicle in Wyoming

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A famous grizzly bear beloved for decades by countless tourists, biologists and professional wildlife photographers in Grand Teton National Park is dead after being struck by a vehicle in western Wyoming.

Grizzly No. 399 died Tuesday night on a highway in Snake River Canyon south of Jackson, park officials said in a statement Wednesday, adding the driver was unhurt. A yearling cub was with the grizzly when she was struck. Though not believed to have been hurt, its whereabouts were unknown, according to the statement.

The circumstances of the crash were unclear. Grand Teton and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials said they had no further information to release about it.

At 28 years old, No. 399 was the oldest known reproducing female grizzly in the Yellowstone ecosystem. Each spring, wildlife enthusiasts eagerly awaited her emergence from her den to see how many cubs she had birthed over the winter — then quickly shared the news online.

Researchers named her after the ID tag affixed to her ear. Grizzly 399 amazed watchers by continuing to reproduce into old age. Unlike many grizzly bears, crowds would often see her near roads in Grand Teton, drawing crowds and traffic jams.

Please read the full story from the Associated Press.

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