Grand Teton National Park\u2019s iconic mother grizzly bear No. 399 was struck and killed by a motor vehicle on Highway 26\/89 south of Jackson Hole on Tuesday evening, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service<\/a>. She had a yearling cub with her at the time of the collision. Although there is no evidence that the cub, nicknamed Spirit<\/a>, was injured in the accident, its current location is unknown. USFWS is monitoring the area in hopes of locating the cub.\u00a0<\/p>\n The circumstances of the accident are unclear. Although the USFWS said the \u201cdriver is okay,\u201d officials could not provide further details. Her ear tags and microchip positively identified the bear.<\/p>\n Grizzly 399 was a wildlife superstar with her own regular swarm of paparazzi. The sow was a draw for tourists visiting the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and was regularly followed by dozens of wildlife photographers<\/a>. She even had official Facebook<\/a> and Instagram<\/a> accounts with more than 135,000 followers.\u00a0<\/p>\n In 2021 she made headlines when she killed an elk calf on camera.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPeople from around the world have followed grizzly bear 399 for several decades. At 28 years old, she was the oldest known reproducing female grizzly bear in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem,\u201d USFWS Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator Hilary Cooley said in a press release.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bear 399 earned celebrity status through decades of regular appearances in the Grand Teton National Park and neighboring Bridger-Teton National Forest, usually with one or more cubs in tow.\u00a0The 400-pound female bear birthed 18 cubs since 2004, eight surviving to adulthood. At least 24 bears in the GYE are descended from 399.<\/p>\n In May 2023, 399 became the oldest grizzly bear mother on record in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem when she waltzed out of Grand Teton National Park\u2019s Pilgrim Creek Drainage with a new cub. And 27 years old is practically ancient for a grizzly. Most die in the wild before they reach the age of 25<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n While most grizzlies shun civilization in favor of wild backcountry landscapes, 399 raised many of her cubs near the roads of Grand Teton National Park. This not only made her more visible but also gave her a mothering edge. Raising her cubs along roadsides may have kept them safe from male grizzlies, which are known to kill offspring in order to bring sows into heat so they can breed again.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t![](\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/GuJ2pEFVavo\/hqdefault.jpg\"\/)
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