close
close

first Drop

Com TW NOw News 2024

    • Mourning the queen of Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming
    news

    Mourning the queen of Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming

    Vaseline Posted on

    The bear was the mother of at least 18 cubs over the years and the star of a PBS documentary. Now people around the world are mourning her death after she was hit by a car. a car.

    Wildlife lovers are reeling from the death of Grizzly 399, a beloved mother bear known as the queen of Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

    Across the country and beyond, people are mourning the loss of the beloved 28-year-old grizzly bear that was struck by a car in the dark of night Tuesday in Snake River Canyon, just south of Jackson, Wyoming. She was identified via ear tags and a microchip.

    A man driving a Subaru on his way home from work struck the bear and called the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, which responded to the scene, said Capt. Brian Andrew of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. The driver will not be prosecuted and the incident will be treated like any other road traffic accident involving wildlife such as deer or elk.

    The Internet responds

    Wildlife enthusiasts, professional photographers, agencies and tourists lucky enough to see Grizzly 399 in person took to social media to post about the devastating loss of the “Queen” of Grand Teton National Park.

    “I’m not doing well,” TikTok user @deal_wivit wrote in the description of a video posted to the platform.

    “I’m crying too,” said one commenter. “She would come by her study.”

    Others, from ordinary people to government agencies, commemorate the bear’s legacy on X.

    “I can’t really explain how devastated I feel over the loss of a wild animal,” nature photographer Brynn Alise wrote in a post. “She meant so much to so many of us… There is a hole in my heart and I will cherish my photos and videos of her forever.”

    The U.S. Department of the Interior also acknowledged the loss of the famous mother bear.

    “Interior joins our partners, community members and friends in Wyoming and around the world in remembering grizzly bear 399,” the department said.

    PBS also posted about Grizzly 399, which was the start of the documentary “Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons.”

    “Today we mourn the loss of Grizzly 399,” the report said. “The Most Famous Bear in Grand Teton National Park.”

    A mother and a star

    According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Grizzly 399’s yearling cub was with her when she was struck. The whereabouts of the cub are unknown and there are no indications that the yearling was also involved in the accident.

    The cub, known to online Grizzly 399 fans as Spirit, was born in 2023, according to Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Chip Jenkins.

    “The grizzly bear is an iconic species that makes the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem so special,” Jenkins said in a news release. “Grizzly bear 399 has been perhaps the most prominent ambassador for the species. She has inspired countless visitors around the world to conservation and will be missed.”

    Grizzly 399 leaves a legacy

    Grizzly 399 was born around 1996 and was captured by Grand Teton National Park in 2001 for research purposes, Grand Teton National Park bear biologist Justin Schwabedissen said during a conference call the park held Wednesday afternoon.

    Over the past 23 years, Grizzly 399 has had eight litters – a total of 18 known cubs, with the first litter reported in 2004. In 2020, Grizzly 399 had a litter of four cubs. According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the typical litter size for a grizzly bear is two cubs.

    “People from all over the world have been following grizzly bear 399 for decades. At age 28, she was the oldest known reproducing female grizzly bear in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem,” Hilary Cooley, grizzly recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, said in a news release.

    Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. You can contact her at LinkedInfollow her further X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram And TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at [email protected]

    Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at [email protected].

    Vaseline
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like