A beloved bear known as the world’s most famous grizzly has died after being struck by a vehicle in Grand Teton National Park in western Wyoming, part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Grizzly 399 died Tuesday evening, Oct. 22, on a highway in Snake River Canyon south of Jackson, according to the National Park Service.

She leaves behind a young cub whose whereabouts are currently unknown. The yearling is not believed to have been involved in the crash, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is still gathering information about the incident.

“People from all over the world have been following grizzly bear 399 for decades. At age 28, she was the oldest known breeding female grizzly bear in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem,” Hilary Cooley, Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said in a statement.

Grizzly 399 was born in the winter of 1996 in a den in the wilderness of Pilgrim Creek, Wyoming. She was captured in 2001 by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, who radio-collared her and gave her the name she has today.

She stood over 2 meters high on her hind legs and weighed a whopping 181 kilograms.

Since 2004, she has given birth to eighteen cubs, eight of which have reached adulthood. The matriarch has been called one of the most famous and most photographed grizzly bears in the world.

Accounts dedicated to her have amassed thousands of followers on Facebook and Instagram, both of which have shared condolence messages over her passing.

Perhaps one of the reasons she was so famous was that she often hung out along roads and human settlements, giving thousands of visitors the opportunity to observe her and her family.

It is thought that she lived in these environments to protect her cubs from aggressive males that lurk in more remote areas. Unfortunately, it was her tendency to wander along roads that ultimately led to her death.

“Wildlife collisions and conflicts are unfortunate. We are grateful the driver is doing well and understand the community is saddened to hear of the death of grizzly bear 399,” said Angi Bruce, director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

Vehicle collisions pose a serious threat to grizzly bears in the US. Between 2009 and 2023, 49 grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem died after being struck by a moving vehicle – an average of 3.3 bears per year.